Howdy, Meteor readers,

We’re going on a road trip and we’d love it if y’all joined us—specifically, in Chicago at the Democratic National Convention next week! We’ll be hosting the Power Lounge at McCormick Place, in partnership with Emerge—an organization that trains women to run for office— on August 21st-22nd. We’ll be hosting conversations with trailblazers like Rep. Jasmine Crockett, State Rep. Gloria Johnson (of the Tennessee Three), Brittany Packnett Cunningham, Connie Britton and lots more. You can register for this event by clicking the image below. See you in Chicago!

But before we hit the road, let’s hit this newsletter. Today marked the three-year anniversary of the Taliban’s return to power in Afghanistan. We spoke with Sahar Halaimzai, the director for the Afghanistan Initiative at the Malala Fund, about what life has been like for Afghan women ever since. Plus, your weekend reading list.

DNCya later,

Shannon Melero

WHAT’S GOING ON

• According to new numbers from the Gaza Health Ministry, 40,000 people—including approximately 16,000 children—have been killed by Israeli military attacks since October 7th. This news comes amidst renewed ceasefire talks and U.S. military officials saying there is nothing left to achieve militarily by continuing to bomb Gaza.

• Imane Khelif, the Algerian boxer and Olympic gold medalist falsely accused of being a man, has filed a legal complaint against Xwitter alleging cyberbullying. Elon Musk and J.K. Rowling, both of whom shared misinformation about Khelif with their combined millions of followers, are named in the complaint. The Paris Prosecutor’s Office for the Fight against Crimes against Humanity and Hate Crime is investigating the claim.

• On Wednesday, Hurricane Ernesto passed through Puerto Rico, knocking out power for over 700,000 customers of LUMA, the corrupt and crumbling energy provider that failed Puerto Ricans in 2022 during Hurricane Fiona. Entire towns are without electricity—even those with no downed power lines. The mayor of Villalba told the New York Times, “This shows how fragile the electrical system is, seven years after Hurricane Maria…There is no logical reason why our town has no service.”

• Have you seen this video of Academy Award winner Anne Hathaway—we swear it’s her—explaining Project 2025’s plans for revitalizing the nuclear family in America?

• More recommended viewing: This video featuring Kaitlyn Joshua, a mom in Louisiana who found herself “in the middle of a healthcare crisis” while pregnant in 2022. Joshua was having a miscarriage—but because of Louisiana’s abortion ban, medical providers refused to see her (presumably because they feared treating her would involve removing her fetus). Out of options, she was forced to pass her miscarriage at home “without dignity.” We were honored to film her with Vote for Abortion in Philadelphia earlier this month; you can also read more about her here.

Three Questions About…Gender Apartheid

On the anniversary of the Taliban’s return to power, an advocate explains what life has been like for women in Afghanistan

OLYMPIC RUNNER KIMIA YOUSOFI OF TEAM AFGHANISTAN HOLDS A SIGN THAT READS, “EDUCATION” AND “OUR RIGHTS” AFTER RUNNING THE WOMEN’S 100 METER. POLITICAL AND PROTEST SIGNAGE WAS BANNED DURING THE 2024 OLYMPICS IN PARIS. (VIA GETTY IMAGES)

Three years ago today, Taliban forces seized Kabul and restored an oppressive theocratic regime to power. You probably remember the images: people attempting to flee, clinging to airplanes, parents handing babies over fences to strangers.

And yet, as quickly as those images came across our screens, they vanished. Over the last three years, women in Afghanistan have lost their ability to work, and girls have been barred from higher education, but in the West, their plight has largely been pushed from the front pages. The Malala Fund, founded by Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzi and her father, Ziauddin, is working to change that. We asked the Fund’s Afghanistan director, Sahar Halaimzai, three questions.

What has been the most significant change in the everyday lives of Afghan women since 2021? 

Women and girls have experienced a total rollback of their basic rights. The Taliban have banned girls from attending school beyond the sixth grade and women from most forms of employment. There are also severe restrictions on women’s freedom of movement and access to public spaces. They cannot enjoy a stroll in a park or go to the salon to get a haircut. This oppression is systemic, institutionalized, and a core part of the Taliban’s governance model; it’s a system of gender apartheid. But as of now, the international community does not legally recognize gender apartheid as a crime despite support from Afghan activists and many global experts, including prominent feminists and legal scholars.

Daily life is fraught with danger. [But] there are many brave women and girls who continue to protest, run or attend underground schools, and organize advocacy efforts to fight for their rights. If caught, these women have been subjected to violence and harassment, arbitrary detention, torture, and enforced disappearances. The Taliban have also targeted their families, using coercion and violence to suppress any form of resistance. Despite these risks, Afghan women remain resilient.

Has the lack of Western media focus on the plight of Afghan women impacted the movement?

Absolutely. Without sustained media attention, it is difficult to maintain the pressure needed to hold the Taliban accountable or support Afghan women and girls. Instead, what we are seeing is a creeping normalization of the Taliban’s atrocities, making it easier to sideline women’s and girls’ rights in favor of other interests.

If we could get more media outlets to cover what’s happening in Afghanistan as gender apartheid, it could reignite global solidarity for Afghan women and pressure leaders to take action.

What needs to happen to protect the rights of women and girls in Afghanistan—and is there anything the average person can do to help?

The international community must recognize gender apartheid as a crime under international law. This recognition would open legal avenues to hold the Taliban accountable for their atrocities.

There’s a real opportunity to do this: the United Nations General Assembly’s Sixth Committee is currently debating the draft language of the Crimes against Humanity treaty. In October 2024, the Committee will resume discussions and vote on whether to advance the treaty to the next stage—a pivotal moment that could solidify international legal frameworks to address and prevent such egregious human rights violations.

Everyone can contribute to this push by supporting organizations like [ours] that advocate for Afghan women’s rights, amplifying their stories, and by pressuring their governments to take decisive action during this critical period, first by naming what is happening in Afghanistan as gender apartheid.

The situation in Afghanistan is not just a localized issue but a global human rights crisis. The Taliban’s gender apartheid…sets a dangerous precedent. If our elected representatives are happy to engage with a governance system that, at its core, is about enforcing gender apartheid, it signals that women’s rights are negotiable and can be easily sacrificed.

WEEKEND READING 📚

On boy things: Are big loud podcast voices like Joe Rogan moving more young men to the right? (The Guardian)

On lingering questions: Who is this woman and how did she make it to the Olympics? (The Root)

On health: Routine pap smears have been unpleasant and uncomfortable since the dawn of time, but a less intrusive new alternative is right on the horizon. (New York Times)

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