At a side event on the sidelines of the 60th session of the UN Human Rights Council, Reem Alsalem, the UN Special Rapporteur on Violence Against Women and Girls, addressed the “Human Rights Impacts of the 12-Day Israeli and U.S. Attack on Iran.” She argued that Israel’s actions toward Iranian women and girls constitute deliberate, gendered, discriminatory violence.
Targeted Violence Based on Iranian Identity
Alsalem began by thanking Iran’s permanent mission for organizing the event, before unpacking the magnitude and implications of the attacks by the Israeli regime, especially upon women and girls. She asserted that these attacks on Iranian civilians are not random or incidental; rather, they amount to a form of targeted, discriminatory violence directed at individuals because of their Iranian identity and exacerbated by their gender.
She emphasized that the consequences are serious, long-term, and gender specific. Women and girls in Iran have suffered disproportionate harm, ranging from loss of life to trauma, disruption of healthcare, displacement, and social stigmatization.
Part of a Broader Pattern
The rapporteur placed the Iranian situation in a wider context: since October 2023, Israel has launched military assaults beyond its borders, affecting at least five additional countries. In four of those cases, she noted, women and children—girls in particular—were killed indiscriminately.
She also referenced a June 2025 statement by the Israeli Minister of Defense, asserting that “residents of Tehran will pay the price,” which she interpreted as evidence of intent to punish civilians. Verified information from Iran and Lebanon suggests that hundreds of women and girls have been killed or wounded. Among the casualties are pregnant women—such as in the attack on the Tajrish area on June 15, 2025. She noted that survivors, especially pregnant and breastfeeding women, endure unique vulnerabilities.
Violations of International Humanitarian and Women’s Rights Norms
Alsalem asserted that these assaults amount to clear violations of international humanitarian law and the Geneva Conventions. She listed offenses including intentional killing, disproportionate attacks, unnecessary destruction of civilian property, and infliction of extreme suffering. She further argued that the strikes breach obligations under UN Security Council Resolution 1325, which emphasizes the protection of women and girls in conflict zones.
Ripple Effects from Gaza: Normalizing Violence
Turning to Gaza, Alsalem warned that the systematic genocide being perpetrated against Palestinian women—characterized by mass killing and brutal crimes—is eroding the rules-based international order. She cautioned: “What happens in Gaza does not stay in Gaza.”
She argued that weakening protection for civilians, especially women and children, during conflict has ripple effects globally. The normalization of mass killing of Palestinian women, she said, lowers the threshold for similar illegal and cruel acts elsewhere, such as in Iran. The widespread media coverage of the genocide in Gaza, especially targeting women and girls, risks normalizing such violence universally.
What Must Be Done
In closing, Alsalem posed the question: “What should be done?” She insisted that a principled, human-rights–centered response requires the international community to unequivocally condemn Israeli crimes against women and girls—not just in Iran, but in all contexts.
She urged that such indiscriminate attacks be explicitly recognized as violence against women and girls, and that accountability and justice be pursued. She stressed that accountability mechanisms, both current and future, must robustly integrate a gendered lens—something that, she cautioned, has too often been neglected.
Alsalem reminded her audience that only six weeks remain until the 25th anniversary of UN Security Council Resolution 1325. She insisted that to remain credible in assessment and evaluation, the international community must seriously recognize the dangers of ignoring Israeli crimes against women and girls in all theaters.
From: mizan