Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what is their assessment of the situation of women and girls in Afghanistan, including as gender apartheid; and what representations they are making to international bodies, including the International Criminal Court and the International Court of Justice (including under the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women) about the plight of women and girls.

There has been an appalling erosion of women and girls' rights in Afghanistan, particularly in terms of access to education and freedom of movement. The UK government will promote human rights on the international stage including supporting the mandate of the UN's Special Rapporteur for Afghanistan, Richard Bennett. The UK government strongly supports international rule of law. There is an open investigation into the situation in Afghanistan by the ICC.

The FCDO is aware of calls for the inclusion of gender apartheid as a new crime against humanity. There are complex legal and political questions associated and we will take these into account when forming our position.