Symposium on Confronting Gender Apartheid in Afghanistan

Keynote: “Gender Apartheid: The View from the Biden/Harris Administration” with Dr. Beth Van Schaack

Widely recognizing for her groundbreaking work in international human rights law, Dr. Beth Van Schaack has served as the U.S. government’s top envoy for global criminal justice, where she led efforts to confront war crimes, crimes against humanity, and gender-based violence around the world. A respected scholar and fierce advocate for justice, she brings a uniquely powerful perspective to the global campaign to recognize gender apartheid as a crime under international law.

In this keynote, Dr. Van Schaack will address the legal and moral imperatives of confronting systemic gender oppression, with a focus on Afghanistan and the international community’s responsibility to act.

Dinner will be provided. Art by Afghan women will be displayed and available for purchase, courtesy of ArtLords.

Please RSVP here. By reservation only. Open to Stanford community, Stanford email required to register.

There will also be a Public Panel and Discussion on April 22, 2025 at 3:30-5PM in the Center for Education Research at Stanford (CERAS), Room 101. Legal and human rights experts will discuss the developments of codifying gender apartheid in international law and using it in the context of Afghanistan. This will be open to the public. Please RSVP for the panel here.

Co-sponsored by the Program in Feminist, Gender, and Sexuality Studies, Sohaib and Sara Abbasi Program in Islamic Studies, Center for South Asia, End Gender Apartheid Campaign, and the Malala Fund.