Remembering a game-changer
Late president’s work in empowering women
Before the government of the late Iranian president Ebrahim Raisi, the women’s field hadn’t been paid as much attention as it should have. We can even dare say that many of this government’s achievements were made for the first time in the field of women. Tackling some long-standing issues was something that had not been started before. One hundred percent infertility treatment coverage and social insurance for rural housewives with three children are cases in point. These initiatives can go a long way toward addressing the country’s pressing issues of population decline and aging.
Women taking managerial positions
The appointment of expert and elite women of Iran to decision-making councils is another significant development in the women’s field. Iranian girls and women have been outperforming boys in obtaining top scientific degrees and pursuing higher education for several years, but they lacked representation in management positions. Now, thanks to the popular government of president Raisi, we see women appointed to senior management roles.
In line with this, the office of female advisors, equivalent to deputy ministers or directors-general, has been established.
Marriage rate, divorce rate
President Raisi’s government coordinated the three branches of government to facilitate marriage, employment, and paying for dowry for couples in rural areas and towns with populations of fewer than 20,000. A support package for couples in their 40s was also on the agenda of the government. Planning and coordination to provide incentive facilities for rural couples in their 40s, in particular, who wish to marry have taken place.
The rise in divorce rates under previous Iranian governments was a key concern for Raisi. Precise targeting and planning in this field by his government led to a reduction in divorce rates, as the latest statistics show. One successful program involved planning and coordinating a long-term preventive and active family counseling program, titled “Newlyweds,” targeting couples in the first five years of their married life, with a pilot test in Iranian provinces at high risk for divorce.
Supporting vulnerable and affected women from the lowest-income classes of society has been a priority since the beginning of the previous government’s term. Clearing the backlog of pension claims from female heads of households was a notable move towards achieving this goal and alleviating poverty. This can be counted as one of the achievements of the late president’s government in promoting social welfare for the most vulnerable, and it was accomplished within a short period.
Int’l achievements
of Iranian women
In addition to domestic achievements, a number of international and transregional accomplishments also took place under president Raisi’s popular government. These include taking on the two-year incumbency of the Working Group on Women’s Economic Empowerment (WGWEE) of the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA), with an extension into a second biennial term; compiling and contributing to the compilation of 30 national reports presented to international and regional forums; setting up a national committee on women and fighting corruption, an initiative suggested by the vice presidency at the annual meeting of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) and lauded by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC); drafting legislation to establish a national working group on women and fighting corruption, and getting it approved at the national headquarters of women and family affairs; and meeting with 170 official delegates and senior officials from various countries.
Legal challenges
of women, families
In order to advance affairs in any field, executive bodies need to carry out approved policies and programs properly to reach the desired goal. Under president Raisi’s government, these bodies were key to achieving the best results from the approvals. Monitoring and pinpointing legal and judicial challenges faced by women, children, and families, as well as presenting legal bills and proposals to the relevant authorities, took center stage in the agenda of these bodies. In the meantime, a revision of all laws and regulations pertaining to women and families has been underway since the inception of legislation in this domain under the Islamic Republic, and the Raisi government diligently followed up on these matters.