Amnesty Feminists: Rise With Afghan Women Advocacy letter - direct ask

[Insert Name and Address]

[Insert Date]

RE: UK GOVERNMENT COMMITMENT TO WOMEN AND GIRLS IN AFGHANISTAN

 Dear [Title and Name],

We are writing to you today, on behalf of Amnesty International [insert group name]. We are a diverse and active group of local community members, committed to championing human rights, and improving people's lives, both in the UK and around the world. We regularly run events such as [insert local activity] and would be delighted if you wanted to get involved with our activities.

We are writing today, due to our growing concern for the situation on the ground in Afghanistan. We wanted to acknowledge the UK Government’s continued support for Afghan women and girls, as well as that of previous Governments. In particular we welcome statements from the UK at the UN Security Council in September last year in response to the “vice and virtue” law issued by the Taliban.

[INSERT LOCAL CONTEXT - why is it important to your local community? Are there local Charities or community groups that are affected? Do you have a significant number of Afghan refugees in your community? Does your local group include members of the Afghan diaspora?]

We would also like to share with you Amnesty International’s research, highlighting how the Taliban de facto authorities continue to commit human rights violations and crimes under international law against the Afghan people, especially women and girls. 

Amnesty International carried out consultations with 150 individuals covering a range of stakeholders including Afghan human rights defenders, members of academia, women protestors and activists, young people, civil society representatives and journalists who are currently residing inside Afghanistan or are in exile, who overwhelmingly believe that the international community has failed the people of Afghanistan. Not only have they failed to hold the Taliban accountable for the crimes and human rights violations, they have also failed to come up with a strategic direction to prevent any further harm.

As I am sure you know, Australia, Canada, Germany, and the Netherlands announced at the 2024 UN General Assembly, that they will initiate legal proceedings, that could ultimately lead to action at the International Court of Justice against Afghanistan for numerous violations of the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW). We welcome this, as an important step towards international accountability, and we were pleased to read that the UK has pledged its political support in the case. But the UK must do more, and we urge you to use your platform and influence to stand up for the people of Afghanistan. The UK can play a leading role to prevent further abuses and hold the Taliban accountable.

Additionally, Afghan women have been campaigning for recognition of ‘Gender Apartheid’ under international law, in order to strengthen efforts to combat institutionalized regimes of systematic oppression on the grounds of gender and hold the Taliban accountable.

On August 15 2025, we mark the fourth anniversary of the Taliban’s takeover, and the devastating impact this had had on the country. We are asking you to use every opportunity available – through parliamentary questions, speaking in debates, writing to the Prime Minister directly, to ask:

1. What is the UK Government currently doing to protect the rights of women and girls in Afghanistan

2. Is the UK Government planning to formally join Canada, Australia, Germany and the Netherlands case at the International Court of Justice?

3.   How will the UK Government formally support the campaign to codify Gender Apartheid under international law? 

Thank you for your kind attention on this matter.

Yours sincerely,