FRESH AIR

The UN, Iran and Women’s Rights

March 15, 2019 | Judy Maynard

Nasrin Sotoudeh, an Iranian Human Rights Lawyer recently sentenced to a 33 year prison term and 148 lashes
Nasrin Sotoudeh, an Iranian Human Rights Lawyer recently sentenced to a 33 year prison term and 148 lashes

The UN continues to produce some of the world’s most bitter satire. Its Commission on the Status of Women “is the principal global intergovernmental body exclusively dedicated to the promotion of gender equality and the empowerment of women [and] is instrumental in promoting women’s rights.” So, following hot on the heels of International Women’s Day, it thought it appropriate to appoint the Islamic Republic of Iran to its five member Working Group on Communications.

Iran is a bastion of “gender justice”, according to its Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, and to say otherwise is a Zionist plot. Others might disagree, such as the World Economic Forum, which ranks Iran 142nd out of 149 countries for gender parity in its Global Gender Gap Index 2018, taking into account economic, educational, health and political empowerment considerations.

The Commission’s Working Group considers communications received by the UN of alleged human rights violations affecting the status of women, and uses these to identify “trends and patterns of injustice and discriminatory practices against women for purposes of policy formulation and development of strategies for the promotion of gender equality.”

It might like to consider the shocking case of Nasrin Sotoudeh, an Iranian human rights lawyer, who almost simultaneously with her nation’s UN appointment, was sentenced to a 33 year prison term and 148 lashes, according to her family. This comes in addition to a five year sentence she is already serving. Her conviction, supposedly on such grounds as national security and insulting the Supreme Leader, is due solely according to Amnesty International to “her peaceful human rights work, including her defence of women protesting Iran’s abusive forced hijab (veiling) laws, and her outspoken opposition to the death penalty.” The courageous Sotoudeh, recipient of the EU’s most prestigious human rights award, the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought, sits in an Iranian jail convicted of trumped up charges, while her compatriots at UN headquarters in New York consider the “trends and patterns” of injustice against women.

RELATED ARTICLES

Image: Shutterstock

China could be the key to the success of the renewed “snapback sanctions” on Iran

Oct 3, 2025 | Featured, Fresh AIR
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas (Image: UN Photo)

Abbas said some positive sounding things in UN speech – pity they are so far-fetched

Sep 30, 2025 | Featured, Fresh AIR
Image: Shutterstock

Media Matters: The ABC’s blind spot

Aug 17, 2025 | Fresh AIR
Fighters and military vehicles belonging to Syrian government forces intervene in the city of Sweida to enforce a ceasefire between Druze factions and Bedouin tribes. Syria, July 20, 2025 (Image: Shutterstock)

Druze crisis tested Israel’s Syria strategy

Jul 31, 2025 | Featured, Fresh AIR
Image: Shutterstock

Media Matters: Smoke and Ire over IHRA

Jul 30, 2025 | Featured, Fresh AIR
President Bill Clinton walks Prime Minister Ehud Barak of Israel and Yasser Arafat of the Palestinian Authority at Camp David, Maryland, July 2000 (Image: Wikipedia)

The silver anniversary of the silver bullet

Jul 29, 2025 | Featured, Fresh AIR
D11a774c 2a47 C987 F4ce 2d642e6d9c8d

Bibi in DC, the Houthi threat and the politicised ICJ opinion

Jul 26, 2024 | Update
Image: Shutterstock

Nine months after Oct. 7: Where Israel stands now

Jul 10, 2024 | Update
Palestinian Red Crescent workers from Al-Najjar Hospital in the city of Rafah, south of the Gaza Strip (Image: Shutterstock)

Hamas’ impossible casualty figures

Mar 28, 2024 | Update
455daec3 C2a8 8752 C215 B7bd062c6bbc

After the Israel-Hamas ceasefire for hostages deal

Nov 29, 2023 | Update
Screenshot of Hamas bodycam footage as terrorists approach an Israeli vehicle during the terror organisation's October 7, 2023 attack in southern Israel, released by the IDF and GPO (Screenshot)

Horror on Video / International Law and the Hamas War

Oct 31, 2023 | Update
Sderot, Israel. 7th Oct, 2023. Bodies of dead Israelis lie on the ground following the attacks of Hamas (Image: Ilia Yefimovich/dpa/Alamy Live News)

Israel’s Sept. 11, only worse

Oct 11, 2023 | Update
Screenshot 2025 10 08 At 9.38.18 am

“It’s a very tough day for Jews worldwide”: Joel Burnie on Sky News

Oct 8, 2025 | Video
Screenshot 2025 10 08 At 9.39.06 am

Antisemitic graffiti on October 7 anniversary “deeply saddening”: Joel Burnie on Sky News

Oct 8, 2025 | Featured, Video
Screenshot 2025 10 07 At 1.16.10 pm

A terrible two years for the Australian Jewish community: Bren Carlill on Sky News

Oct 8, 2025 | Featured, Video
Screenshot

Cautious hope in Israel for Gaza conflict deal: Joel Burnie on Sky News

Oct 5, 2025 | Featured, Video
Screenshot

Protesters should support Gaza ceasefire plan: Joel Burnie on Sky News

Oct 4, 2025 | Video
Screenshot

Antisemitism “a toxin festering through the violent rhetoric on our streets”: Joel Burnie on Sky News

Oct 3, 2025 | Featured, Video

RECENT POSTS

The infamous scenes outside the Sydney opera House, October 2023 (Screenshot)

AIJAC applauds NSW Court of Appeal decision to block Oct. 7 celebration at the Opera House

Image: Shutterstock

AIJAC welcomes news of agreement on first phase of Israel-Hamas peace plan

Hamas' October 7 attack produced scenes that Israelis can never forget (Image: Hamas bodycam)

Israel may win the war, but its reputation has been tarnished beyond repair

Image: Shutterstock

Wounds will heal, but scars remain as Israel marks two years since Hamas massacre

Screenshot 2025 10 08 At 9.38.18 am

“It’s a very tough day for Jews worldwide”: Joel Burnie on Sky News

SORT BY TOPICS