Outrage as Saudi Arabia is chosen to lead UN women’s rights group – despite ‘abysmal’ record on equality 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 top UN women’s right group, despite its own ‘abysmal’ record of gender equality. 

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

Alwasil was elected with no dissent from any of the 45 members present at the meeting, and will hold the post for at least two years. 

He was even endorsed by a group of Asia-Pacific states on the commission, despite his nation’s notorious record on gender equality, which human rights groups were quick to point out. 

Sherine Tadros, the head of the New York office of Amnesty International, said Saudi Arabia will be chair of the CSW on the 30th anniversary of the passing of a landmark piece of international law that massively advanced the rights of women across the world. 

‘Whoever is in the chair, which is now Saudi Arabia, is in a key position to influence the planning, the decisions, the taking stock, and looking ahead, in a critical year for the commission,’ Tadros said. 

Saudi Arabia has a shocking record on gender equality (File image)

‘Saudi Arabia is now at the helm, but Saudi Arabia’s own record on women’s rights is abysmal, and a far cry from the mandate of the commission.’

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

‘A country that jails women simply because they advocate for their rights has no business being the face of the UN’s top forum for women’s rights and gender equality. 

‘Saudi authorities should demonstrate that this honor was not completely undeserved and immediately release all detained women’s rights defenders, end male guardianship and ensure women’s full rights to equality with men.’

Saudi lawmakers passed a law in 2022 that claims to have increased the ‘personal status’ of women in the nation. 

But the law explicitly says that a woman has to obtain permission from a male guardian to marry. 

Saudi lawmakers passed a law in 2022 that claims to have increased the ‘personal status’ of women in the nation (File image)

A husband can withdraw financial support for reasons including refusing to have sex with him (File image) 

Human Rights Watch pointed out that a woman who leaves the marital home can lose custody of her child if the child’s ‘best interest,’ which is undefined, necessitates it (File image)

It also says that a wife has to obey her husband in a ‘reasonable manner’, and states that her husband’s financial support depends on her ‘obedience.’

A husband can withdraw financial support for reasons including refusing to have sex with him, live in a marital home or travel with him without a ‘legitimate excuse.’

Human Rights Watch pointed out that a woman who leaves the marital home can lose custody of her child if the child’s ‘best interest,’ which is undefined, necessitates it. 

The UK’s Foreign Office told the Guardian that it is not a member of the Commission on the Status of Women, and therefore didn’t have a role to play in the selection of the chair. 

It added: ‘We continue to engage closely with the Saudi authorities on women’s rights issues.’