ARTICLE 19 report examines censorship in systems of gender persecution and apartheid
An ARTICLE 19 report examines how restrictions on freedom of expression can support systems of gender persecution. It also argues for the recognition of gender apartheid as a crime under international law.
ARTICLE 19 has published a report examining how censorship, surveillance and restrictions on public participation can help enforce systems of gender-based oppression.
The report, When censorship becomes a crime: Freedom of expression violations in systems of gender persecution and apartheid, focuses mainly on women and girls in Afghanistan and Iran. It states that these contexts differ and that its analysis does not determine whether particular individuals could be successfully prosecuted.
ARTICLE 19 argues that severe restrictions on freedom of expression may, in certain circumstances, contribute to the crime against humanity of persecution. These may include bans on women speaking publicly, restrictions on women journalists, internet shutdowns and the use of surveillance technology to enforce gender-based rules.
The report says such measures can silence opposition, limit documentation of abuses and help maintain wider systems of discrimination. It also notes that international criminal law applies only when the required legal and jurisdictional conditions are met.
ARTICLE 19 supports adding gender apartheid to the proposed international treaty on crimes against humanity. It argues that gender persecution and gender apartheid are related but distinct concepts. According to the organisation, gender apartheid would address institutionalised systems intended to maintain domination by one gender group over another.
