Canada Trying to Kill Iran’s Bid to Join UN women’s Organization

Critics say the country that sentenced a woman to be stoned to death for adultery is fundamentally hostile to women’s rights.

UN Women is an organization formed in July to promote international women’s rights. Asia has been allotted ten seats on its board, and until recently only ten countries, including Iran, were vying for the spots, making today’s membership vote a non-contest. But intense lobbying from Canada, the U.S., and Australia has convinced an eleventh country, Timor-Leste, to come forward. Diplomats have also been working behind the scenes to convince other countries to deny Iran a spot. Critics say Iran’s presence on the board would turn the organization into a farce because of the country’s atrocious record on women’s rights, which includes the highly publicized case of Sakineh Ashtiani, who was sentenced to death by stoning for adultery.