Photo Above: From imgur.com
UNfit
Saudi Arabia is an authoritarian, theocratic regime that routinely tortures, imprisons and executes dissenters. On top of that, they also are vehemently anti-woman. The guardian system in Saudi Arabia requires that a woman receive permission to do everything – from get an education to travel. Women are also not allowed to drive cars or leave the house without head to toe covering. When they do manage to make it out of the house, they are not allowed to interact with men and all shops, transportation and public areas are gender segregated. Based on this, it seems odd, even ludicrous, that Saudi Arabia would get a seat on a UN Council tasked with upholding and forwarding women’s rights around the globe. But indeed, that happened. Not only that but Saudi Arabia ALSO has a seat on the UN Human Rights Council. Then again, so does the US – and many other human rights violating countries – from Brazil to China. So, what gives? What’s up with the UN’s human rights hypocrisies and does this international body really work? Could there be a better, more powerful iteration that actually holds human rights violators accountable, rather than periodically wagging a finger at them and ultimately putting them in charge of human rights?