Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, has provided the following answer to your written parliamentary question (HL3016):
Question by Lord Alton of Liverpool:
To ask His Majesty’s Government what consideration they are giving to the report of the Gender Apartheid Inquiry Shattering Women’s Rights, Shattering Lives, launched on 4 March, and whether they intend to formally respond to its findings and recommendations. (HL3016)
Tabled on: 05 March 2024
Answer:
Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon:
The FCDO is aware of the report. There are complex legal and political questions which arise in considering any new crime of ‘gender apartheid’. We are considering these questions and consulting legal advisers and subject matter experts.
We have repeatedly condemned Taliban and Iranian policies and actions that restrict the rights of women and girls. Officials from the UK Mission to Afghanistan regularly press Taliban acting ministers to reverse their harmful policies on women and girls. Since Iran’s mass protests of 2022-23, we have sanctioned 94 individuals or entities for human rights abuses, including senior decision makers responsible for Iran’s oppressive hijab law. We will continue to work with the international community to address women and girls’ rights issues in Afghanistan and Iran.
Date and time of answer: 25 Mar 2024 at 17:00.
