Iran Removed from UN Commission on the Status of Women

Member countries of the UN Economic and Social Council voted yesterday to expell Iran from its membership in the UN Commission on the Status of Women.

CNN reports on a statement made to the UN by US Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield:

Women and activists have appealed to us, the United Nations, for support. They made their request to us loud and clear: remove Iran from the Commission on the Status of Women.

The reason why is straightforward. The Commission is the premier UN body for promoting gender equality and empowering women. It cannot do its important work if it is being undermined from within. Iran’s membership at this moment is an ugly stain on the Commission’s credibility.

The For Freedoms organization’s public art exhibit Eyes on Iran put international attention on the human rights abuses against women in Iran.

For a powerful account of their exhibit that centers art and creativity as a catalyst for transformative connection and collective liberation, see here and here.

IE