Deputy of Ibrahim Raisi's Women's Affairs Visits New York; Khazaali to Speak at UN Commission on the Status of Women

Ansieh Khazaali, Deputy for Women and Family Affairs of Ibrahim Raisi, President of the 13th government of the Islamic Republic, arrived in New York on Sunday, March 11, to participate in the UN Commission on the Status of Women meeting; this comes after the Islamic Republic was expelled from this commission in late December 2022 following the suppression of the 'Women, Life, Freedom' movement. Upon her arrival in New York, at the UN headquarters, Khazaali told reporters from state media that she came to address the special conditions of women in Gaza and to call for the expulsion of Israel from the UN Commission on the Status of Women. She also added, 'As is customary, countries present a report on the status of women, and we will report on the situation of women in Iran as well as the status of women in the international community and the issues they face, particularly focusing on the conditions of Palestinian women in Gaza.' Khazaali's trip to the US and her presence at the UN occur while the Islamic Republic was expelled from the UN Commission on the Status of Women in late December 2022 due to the violent suppression of the 'Women, Life, Freedom' movement and widespread protests following the Islamic Republic's treatment of the Iranian people, especially women. Just two days prior to her visit, the UN Human Rights Council's fact-finding committee condemned 'institutionalized discrimination against women and girls' in Iran in its first report regarding the nationwide protests, deeming it a 'violation of human rights and a crime against humanity' and calling on Islamic Republic officials to 'unconditionally' halt all death sentences, immediately release detainees, and end the suppression of protesters, their families, and supporters of the 'Women, Life, Freedom' movement. The annual meetings of the Commission on the Status of Women are the largest UN gatherings on issues related to women and their empowerment, taking place this year from March 11 to March 22, with the priority theme of 'Accelerating the Achievement of Gender Equality and Empowerment of Women.' The 68th session of the Commission on the Status of Women will be attended by 101 delegations from around the world. The UN Commission on the Status of Women was established in 1946 and is the main global policymaking body dedicated exclusively to gender equality and the advancement of women. Each year, representatives of member states gather at the UN headquarters in New York to assess progress in gender equality, identify challenges, set global standards, and formulate specific policies to promote gender equality and empower women worldwide.