In an unexpected development, Saudi Arabia has been elected to chair the UN’s Commission on the Status of Women (CSW). The appointment was sealed by ‘acclamation’ after an unchallenged bid and no opposition, leading to an uproar among human rights groups. This appointment prompts Saudi UN Ambassador Abdulaziz Alwasil to assume a leading position in a body actively pursuing gender equality and female empowerment.
This development has been met with fierce condemnation from human rights organizations, including Amnesty International. They have highlighted Saudi Arabia’s infamous human rights record, especially pertaining to the rights of women, leading to questions about the compatibility of the kingdom’s policies and the CSW’s mandate. Louis Charbonneau, the UN director at Human Rights Watch, expressed his views via tweet, noting that Saudi Arabia, a country known for imprisoning women for advocating their rights, is an unsuitable representative for women’s rights and gender equality at a global level.
However, it should be noted that Saudi Arabia has been implementing a series of legal reforms since 2017 aimed at enhancing women’s rights and freedoms. These reforms form part of Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman’s Vision 30 project, an initiative aiming to transform Saudi Arabia into a modern and inclusive nation. Key reforms as part of this project include lifting the longstanding ban on women driving, introducing legislation against wage discrimination, and removing the requirement of a male guardian’s permission for a host of activities.
Notably, in 2022, a new Personal Status Law was introduced, granting women the agency to independently decide whom they marry. Yet, it was criticized by Amnesty International as it still required women to seek male consent for marriage, and it justified the withdrawal of financial support by their husbands under certain conditions. The human rights group argues that this law fails to provide adequate protection and enshrines discrimination and male guardianship.
Adding to this, there are still many women’s rights advocates currently imprisoned or detained in Saudi Arabia. Several civil society organizations have recently signed a letter highlighting this issue, especially the travel bans affecting those released from prison, and calling for the immediate release of these activists.
While Saudi Arabia’s position at the helm of the UN’s women rights forum presents an opportunity for the country to change its international perception, these stringent criticisms and the persistent human rights issues within the country call into question the efficacy of its leadership role in the CSW.