Reem Alsalem is Standing for Women’s Rights

The voice we need right now

Earlier this week, many people were pleasantly surprised and even stunned by a United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) press release titled “Allow women and girls to speak on sex, gender and gender identity without intimidation or fear: UN expert.”

The statement was written by Reem Alsalem, the UN Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls. It begins:

I am deeply concerned at the escalation of intimidation and threats against women and girls for expressing their opinions and beliefs regarding their needs and rights based on their sex and/or sexual orientation. Disagreement with the views of women/girls including politicians, academics, and women rights advocates should never be used as grounds to justify violence and intimidation. In addition, discrimination based on sex and sexual orientation is prohibited in international and regional instruments.

The damning statement criticizes countries in the Global North for failing to protect the abilit…