India abstains as UN Women's Commission votes out Iran

Iran was ousted from the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women on Wednesday evening in the wake of the Mahsa Amini protest.

In a vote of 29-8, some 16 countries, including India abstained from the vote.

The eight nations who voted against were Nicaragua, Nigeria, Oman, Bolivia, China, Kazakhstan, Russia and Zimbabwe.

The UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) adopted a resolution to 'remove with immediate effect the Islamic Republic of Iran from the Commission on the Status of Women for the remainder of its 2022-2026 term'.

The decision comes as Iranians continue to protest throughout the country for the 12th week, The Jerusalem Post reported.

The protests were sparked after the death of Mahsa Amini in September.

UK Ambassador Barbara Woodward said the death of Mahsa Amini was a shocking reminder of the repression facing women and girls in Iran.

"Since her death, the Iranian people's message has been clear: they will no longer tolerate violence and oppression at the hands of their own government," Woodward said in her statement to the 54-member ECOSOC.

"The people of Iran demand that women's and girls' rights be respected, and so do we," she added.

US National Security Advisor (NSA) Jake Sullivan said Wednesday's vote is another sign of the growing international consensus on Iran and demands for accountability.

"The United States is working with our allies and partners around the world to hold Iran accountable for the abuses it is committing against its own people, notably peaceful protesters, women and girls, and the violence it is enabling against the Ukrainian people, as well as its destabilizing actions throughout the Middle East region," he added.

Permanent Representative of the Czech Republic to the United Nations Jakub Kulhanek calls on the Iranian authorities to cease using arbitrary detentions to silence critical voices and release all unjustly detained.

"The exceptional decision today is justified by the seriousness of the human rights situation and does not change our stance on multilateralism," ambassador Kulhanek said in a statement on behalf of the EU.

The Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) is the principal global intergovernmental body exclusively dedicated to the promotion of gender equality and the empowerment of women.