The UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) was created in 1946. The CSW makes recommendations to the Economic and Social Council in order to advance women’s rights in political, economic, social, and educational fields. Iran is a current member of this commission. 

Simply put, this is an outrage: the Iranian regime systematically violates women’s rights, and brutally punishes those who dare to protest their oppression. Iran’s CSW membership damages the commission’s credibility and legitimacy beyond repair. 

Since the current protests began in the fall of 2022, at least 29 women have been killed by the authorities. Many more have been beaten and detained, and face abuse and assault while in detention. The most recent round of protests in Iran began after the death of Mahsa (Jina) Amini following her reported detention and beating by Iran’s so-called “Morality Police” for purportedly not obeying the Iranian laws mandating wearing of the hijab. Iran’s Islamic Penal Code provides for punishing women who refuse to wear the hijab in public places or on roads with fines, imprisonment, and lashes. 

The regime’s violent attempts to suppress the protests are just the tip of the iceberg: Iran is one of the worst countries in the world for women’s human rights. Domestic violence is not against the law. Even honor killings of women by their family members draw only light sentences. Marital rape is legal. Women are punished more harshly than men for many crimes. For women, adultery is punishable by death. To learn more, read UANI's resource "Iran's War on Women".  

The abuses outlined above are more than enough to merit expulsion from any group that claims to support the interests of women. We demand that this outrage be stopped, and call on the UN to expel Iran from the CSW immediately. The vote to remove Iran from the commission is scheduled for December 14. Sign the petition now to show your support.