Saudi Arabia was on Wednesday appointed chair of the United Nations’ top forum for women’s rights and gender equality, a controversial designation for a nation known for its discrimination against women. Human Rights Watch said the election showed a “shocking disregard for women’s rights everywhere.”

Women’s rights activists in Saudi Arabia have repeatedly been jailed for speaking out, and Saudi women have only been allowed to drive since 2018 and live alone without a male guardian since 2021. The country’s de facto ruler, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, has framed these reforms — and other milestones, like the nation’s debut at the Miss Universe pageant — as steps toward equality, though human rights organizations have pointed out that the new laws did not eliminate the country’s male guardianship system and in fact codified some pieces of it.

Saudi Arabia was the only candidate to chair the Commission on the Status of Women and was unanimously confirmed to the role without a vote, which is typical for this post.