October 2019 – The U.S. and Canada were the only countries that voted against a resolution (approved 40-2) by the UN Economic and Social Council, that targets only Israel for alleged violations of women’s rights. The resolution declares that Israel’s policy “reaffirms that the Israeli occupation remains a major obstacle for Palestinian women and girls with regard to the fulfillment of their rights, and their advancement, self-reliance, and integration in the development of their society.”
It further states that the UN Council has “grave concern about the continuing systematic violation of the human rights of the Palestinian people by Israel, the occupying power, and its impact on women and girls.” Ironically, other countries notorious for misogynistic policies such as Iran, Saudi Arabia, DR Congo, and Pakistan – all of which ranked in the 10 worst countries in the 2018 Global Gender Gap Report – were not included in the resolution.
