Gender-Based Persecution and Protection: Afghan Women and Girls In The French Asylum Framework

The Human Development Research Initiative (HDRI) presents its new publication on "Gender-Based Persecution and Protection: Afghan Women and Girls In The French Asylum Framework" written by @Anna Lisa Johner and edited by @Guglielmo Maria BARBETTA.

This brief examines the acute effects of forced migration due to the systematic gender-based persecution of Afghan women and girls under Taliban rule, and the urgent need for EU states to implement gender-responsive migration governance.

📊 The Crisis in Numbers Systematic violations of human rights are driving an unprecedented displacement crisis.

• 3.1 Million: The number of Afghan women and girls seeking or holding international protection in 2023 a staggering increase from 800,000 in 2020.

• 81%: The share of women departing Afghanistan forced to rely on dangerous, overland routes, largely because Taliban restrictions bar them from public transport or flights without a male guardian.

• 78%: The percentage of young Afghan women entirely excluded from education, employment, or training nearly four times the rate for young men.

  
  

To protect younger generations whose futures depend on effective interventions, our brief outlines four core recommendations for policymakers:

1. Strengthen Governance: Mainstream a gender-responsive approach into French asylum policies and diplomacy.

2. Expand Safe Routes: Expedite visas and family reunification from Iran and Pakistan to deter dangerous journeys.

3. Invest in Integration: Make tailored support (like childcare and language classes) a core protection obligation tied to EU funding.

4. Demand Accountability: Fund UN mechanisms investigating and gathering evidence on systematic gender persecution.

   
   

Addressing these gendered risks is not discretionary support; it is a matter of fundamental human rights that will save lives and further advance gender equality.