Outrage as Saudi Arabia picked to head women's rights forum

Saudi Arabia's UN ambassador, Abdulaziz Alwasil, has been chosen to chair the world body's Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) after the country's bid for the position remained unopposed.

Such posts rotate among the UN's five regional groups, and are usually confirmed unanimously, in a precedent that other countries may have been unwilling to upset. The Asia group, which includes Saudi Arabia, unanimously confirmed the Saudi candidacy.

The choice has prompted a backlash from rights groups, who note the country's track record on women's rights. Saudi Arabia ranks 131 out of 146 countries on gender equality, according to the World Economic Forum (WEF). 

What have rights groups said?

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

"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," he added.

"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."

Ahead of the appointment, Amnesty International already issued a statement condemning the move.

"The Commission on the Status of Women has a clear mandate to promote women's rights and gender equality and it is vital for the chair of the commission to uphold this," Amnesty International's deputy director for advocacy, Sherine Tadros, said.

"Saudi Arabia’s abysmal record when it comes to protecting and promoting the rights of women puts a spotlight on the vast gulf between the lived reality for women and girls in Saudi Arabia, and the aspirations of the Commission," she added. 

Tadros also criticized Riyadh's 2022 Personal Status Law, which authorities had sought to promote as a step toward equality.

She said the law "in fact entrenches gender-based discrimination in every aspect of family life, from marriage, to divorce, child custody and inheritance, and fails to protect women from gender-based violence."

What is the situation of women in Saudi Arabia?

Saudi Arabia's de facto ruler, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, has promised reform.

In 2018, women were given the right to drive, and wearing hijab, the Islamic headscarf, was no longer obligatory in public.

But rights groups say that women in the kingdom are still subject to many discriminatory restrictions. For example, Saudi women still have to obtain a male guardian's permission to marry.

According to Amnesty International, women who stand up for their human rights in Saudi Arabia are also persecuted, with female rights activists being placed under travel bans and restricted in their freedom of speech.

In addition, Saudi Arabian women who have posted on social media in support of women's rights have received prison terms, sometimes extremely long ones.

Under the 2022 law, a husband can also withdraw financial support from his wife if she refuses to have sex with him, live with him or travel with him. 

Amnesty campaigner calls decision 'farcical' in DW interview

DW spoke with Bissan Fakih, Amnesty International’s Campaigner on Saudi Arabia, about Riyadh being chosen to lead the United Nations' Commission on the Status of Women.

Fakih called the decision "farcical" and said: "I must express my disappointment with the 45 member States who were on the Commission and no one stood up to challenge Saudi Arabia's appointment."

The role of the commission is "to promote gender equality and to promote women's empowerment," but Amnesty is currently working on the cases of women being sent to prison for fighting for women's rights.

"Right now we're working on the case of a young woman, 29 years old, a fitness instructor and a women human rights defender who's [been] forcibly disappeared so her family doesn't know where she is," she told DW.

"She was locked up because she tweeted under the hashtag end male guardianship and because she posted a photo of herself in the mall without wearing a traditional abaya."

Fakih said that the appointment of Saudi Arabia to lead the commission "tarnishes [the commission's] credibility to speak out against gender discrimination."

"So we're seeing the UN, we're seeing football players, seeing businesses, we're seeing world leaders show up to Saudi Arabia and just sweeping human rights under the rug. And unfortunately they're falling for Saudi Arabia's PR campaign."

Edited by: Kieran Burke