Iran’s Election to UN Women’s Body Draws Outrage from Rights Activists, US Silence

WASHINGTON - Iran’s election to the U.N.’s top women’s empowerment body this week despite having a poor record has drawn outrage from rights activists who criticized the Islamic republic’s treatment of women. The result of the secret ballot also has been met with silence from the U.S. SHAME: At least 4 of these democracies voted #Iran onto the UN Commission on Women's Rights.🇦🇺 Australia🇦🇹 Austria🇧🇬 Bulgaria🇨🇦 Canada🇫🇮 Finland 🇫🇷 France🇩🇪 Germany🇱🇻 Latvia🇱🇺 Luxembourg🇳🇱 Netherlands🇳🇴 Norway🇨🇭 Swiss 🇬🇧 UK🇺🇸 US🇵🇹 Portugal https://t.co/xy0bMsH2ay

In Tuesday’s vote, 43 of the 54 nations in the U.N.’s Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) elected Iran to the Commission on the Status of Women for a four-year term beginning next year. The commission is the U.N.’s principal intergovernmental body dedicated to “the promotion of gender equality and the empowerment of women.” Iran received the smallest number of votes of the five nations elected to the body. Of the other four elected nations, China and Japan were already commission members while Lebanon and Pakistan will be new additions. Iran currently is not a member of the commission. Iran’s poor record on women’s rights was under fire at the world body as recently as last month.