Iran was ousted from a United Nations women’s group on Wednesday for policies contrary to the rights of women and girls, a move proposed by the United States after Tehran’s crackdown on protests over the death of a young woman in custody.
The 54-member UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) adopted a US-drafted resolution to “remove with immediate effect the Islamic Republic of Iran from the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) for the remainder of its 2022-2026 term.”
There were 29 votes in favour, eight against — including Russia and China — and there were 16 abstentions.”This is a victory for Iranian revolutionaries who have been facing guns & bullets as they fight this gender apartheid state,” US-based Iranian journalist and women’s rights activist Masih Alinejad posted on Twitter.
US Ambassador to the United Nations, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, said removing Iran was the right thing to do. The 45-member commission meets annually every March and aims to promote gender equality and the empowerment of women. “It’s hugely important for the women of Iran,” Thomas-Greenfield told Reuters after the vote.
