Iran’s Vice President of Iran for Women and Family Affairs Ensieh Khazali has demanded that the UN address the “unjust decision” to remove the Islamic Republic from the 45-nation Commission on the Status of Women.
The push to remove Iran from the women’s forum – a part of the UN’s Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) – was initiated by the US in November 2022, after riots hit Iran following protests over the sudden collapse of a young woman at police station in Tehran and her subsequent passing in hospital.
Khazali is in New York to attend the 68th annual session of the Commission on the Status of Women, the UN’s largest annual gathering on gender equality and women’s empowerment.
On Thursday, she met the forum’s chair Philippines UN Ambassador Antonio Lagdameo who appreciated the participation of the high-ranking Iranian delegation in the meeting and the frank positions which it expressed in its address to the meeting.
Lagdameo also appreciated Iran’s services in supporting Afghan immigrants and the people of Gaza, saying the return of Iran to the Commission on the Status of Women was a decision for ECOSOC to make, “but we are also working for this issue”, IRNA news agency reported.
He further praised the increase in the scientific and technological ability of Iranian women and suggested increasing interaction between the universities of Iran and his home country, the Philippines.
Khazali appreciated the commission’s cooperation with Iran in holding bilateral meetings, specialized round table and interactive dialogue on gender equality and women’s empowerment.
She cited the seventh meeting of the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) Working Group on Women’s Economic Empowerment which was held in Tehran on May 22-23, 2023, during which various educational workshops were held in person and virtually for the women of the IORA region.
“This is due to the improvement of Iranian women’s scientific ability, which according to official statistics, 24% of the inventors of my country are women, which is higher than the world average.”
Khazali said, “The Islamic Republic of Iran has not only taken unique measures for Iranian women and girls, but also for Afghan immigrants. For example, the report of the Iran University of Medical Sciences indicates the country’s excellent rank in providing health services to immigrants.
“Nevertheless, we witnessed the cancellation of Iran’s membership, which is against the procedure of the Commission” on the Status of Women, she said.
“If it is to cancel membership, the Israeli regime which has a record of killing thousands of women and children deserves the move,” she added.
Addressing the Commission on the Status of Women on Monday, Khazali called upon the United Nations to remove Israel from the forum.
“The free people of the world expect the regime responsible for decades of displacement, rape and murder of millions of women and children, not to have a seat in the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women,” she said.
