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In an unprecedented move, Iran has been expelled from the United Nation’s Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) in a vote on which India abstained.
The US proposal at the UN Economic and Social Council to remove Iran from the panel received 29 votes, while there were eight votes against and 16 abstentions in the 54-member elected body.
The vote came after intense lobbying by the US following widespread protests in Iran sparked by outrage against the edict compelling women to wear hijabs.
US Permanent Representative Linda Thomas-Greenfield told the Council that CSW, which is « the premier UN body for promoting gender equality and empowering women » cannot function if it is « undermined from within » by Iran.
