Saudi Arabia has been chosen to chair a UN commission focused on promoting gender equality and empowering women around the world, The Guardian reports. And that’s after unsuccessfully running for the post of leader, who has been condemned by human rights groups for the kingdom’s “appalling” record on women’s rights.
Saudi Ambassador to the United Nations Abdulaziz Alwasil was elected by “acclamation” as the chairman of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) on Wednesday, as no competitor appeared and no one opposed him at the CSW’s annual meeting in New York.
Bangladesh was expected to take over, but Saudi Arabia intervened late in the process. When the outgoing chairman, Philippine Ambassador to the United Nations Antonio Manuel Lagadameo, asked the 45 members of the commission if they had any objections, the room fell silent. “I hear no objections. So it is decided,” said Lagadameo.
Saudi Arabia’s moves are widely seen as an attempt to improve the kingdom’s reputation. Human rights groups were quick to point out the irony that CSW is leading a country where the gap between men’s and women’s rights is so wide even on paper.
Sherine Tadros, head of Amnesty International’s New York office, pointed out that Saudi Arabia will preside next year on the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration, a landmark plan to advance women’s rights around the world.
The Beijing Declaration
The 1995 Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action is a visionary agenda for women’s empowerment. To this day, it remains the most comprehensive global policy framework and action plan and is a current source of guidance and inspiration for the realization of gender equality and the human rights of women and girls worldwide. Representatives of 189 governments agreed on commitments that were unprecedented in their scope.
The Action Platform covers 12 key areas that are as relevant today as they were 20 years ago: poverty, education and training, health, violence, armed conflict, economy, power and decision-making, institutional mechanisms, human rights, media, environment and girls. For each critical area, strategic objectives and a detailed catalog of related measures are set out to be adopted by governments and other stakeholders at national, regional and international levels. At the twenty-third special session of the General Assembly in June 2000, held to review the implementation of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, governments agreed on further measures to accelerate the implementation of the Platform for Action and to ensure that gender equality commitments are fully implemented , development and peace.
“Whoever will chair, which is now Saudi Arabia, is in a key position to influence planning, decision-making, stocktaking and forward-looking in a critical year for the commission,” Tadros said. “Saudi Arabia is now leading the way, but its own record on women’s rights is abysmal and a far cry from the commission’s mandate.”
The Saudi mission to the UN did not respond to a request for comment, but Saudi officials pointed to a “personal status” law introduced in 2022 as evidence of progress on women’s rights.
Law on the Personal Status of Man and Woman in Saudi Arabia
The Personal Status Law in Saudi Arabia governs matters related to marriage, divorce, custody of children, inheritance and other family matters.
According to him, marriage is usually arranged and is considered a contract between a man and a woman with the consent of the woman’s guardian. A man can have up to four wives under certain conditions.
In Saudi Arabia, women are subject to male guardianship laws, which require them to have a male guardian (usually a father, husband, or other male relative) who must give permission for certain activities, such as travel, education, or employment.
According to the law, a woman must obey her husband in a “reasonable manner”, with the husband’s financial support dependent on the woman’s “obedience”. Refusal to have sex with a spouse, live in the matrimonial home, or travel with him without a “justifiable pretext” can also be grounds for withdrawal of financial support, according to the law. Amnesty International said it “does not protect women and girls from all forms of gender-based violence”.
“The election of Saudi Arabia as chair of the UN Commission on the Status of Women is a shocking example of the disregard for women’s rights around the world,” said Louis Charbonneau, UN director at Human Rights Watch (HRW).
“A country that imprisons women just for standing up for their rights should not be the face of the UN’s highest forum for women’s rights and gender equality. The Saudi authorities should show that this honor was not entirely undeserved and immediately release all detained women’s rights defenders, end male guardianship and ensure women have full rights to equality with men,” adds Charbonneau.
“If everyone had made enough of a fuss, then it wouldn’t have happened,” he said. “But everyone is just quiet. Someone could call a vote, but no one seems to want to do that either, which I find ridiculous,” he explains. CSW members included countries with good records on women’s rights, such as the Netherlands, Japan, Portugal, Switzerland and the Czech Republic.
Tags: Saudi Arabia lead womens rights forum appalling reputation
