Outrage as Saudi Arabia chosen to lead UN women’s rights panel – despite ‘appalling’ equality record in kingdom where wives can be stoned to death for adultery

Human rights groups are up in arms after Saudi Arabia won an unopposed bid to lead a UN women’s rights group, despite its own ‘appalling’ record on gender equality.

Saudi envoy to the UN, Abdulaziz Alwasil, was elected president of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) in an unopposed race at the group’s annual meeting in New York on Wednesday.

Alwasil was elected without opposition from any of the 45 members present at the meeting and will serve in the position for at least two years.

He was even supported by a group of Asia-Pacific states on the commission, despite his country’s notorious record on gender equality, which human rights groups did not wasted no time in emphasizing.

Sherine Tadros, director of Amnesty International’s New York office, said Saudi Arabia would chair the CSW on the 30th anniversary of the adoption of a landmark international law that massively advanced human rights women across the world.

“Whoever chairs, which is now Saudi Arabia, is in a key position to influence planning, decisions, stocktaking and outlook, in a critical year for the commission,” Tadros said.

“Saudi Arabia is now in charge, but Saudi Arabia’s record on women’s rights is abysmal and far from the commission’s mandate.

Louis Charbonneau, UN director of Human Rights Watch (HRW), added: “Saudi Arabia’s election to chair the UN Commission on the Status of Women shows shocking disregard for for women’s rights around the world.

“A country that imprisons women simply for standing up for their rights has no business being the face of the UN’s highest forum for women’s rights and gender equality.

“The Saudi authorities should demonstrate that this honor was not completely undeserved and immediately release all detained women’s rights defenders, end male guardianship and guarantee women the full right to equality with men.”

Saudi lawmakers passed a law in 2022 that claims to have increased the “personal status” of women in the country.

But the law explicitly states that a woman must obtain permission from a male guardian to marry.

It also says that a wife must obey her husband in a “reasonable manner” and that her husband’s financial support depends on his “obedience.”

A husband can withdraw financial support for reasons such as refusing to have sex with him, to live in the marital home, or to travel with him without a “lawful excuse.”

Human Rights Watch noted that a woman who leaves the marital home may lose custody of her child if the child’s “best interests,” which are not defined, require it.

The British Foreign Office said the Guardian that she is not a member of the Commission on the Status of Women and therefore had no role to play in the choice of the presidency.

He added: “We continue to work closely with the Saudi authorities on issues related to women’s rights. »