Iran takes measures to boost role of women in Iranian society

Speaking to Newsweek in an exclusive interview on the sidelines of the United Nations Convention on the Status of Women (CSW) being held this week in New York, Iranian Vice President for Women and Family Affairs Ensiyeh Khazali acknowledged that Iran's women's rights situation was far from perfect. But she asserted that the issue was a priority for her government, led by President Ebrahim Raeisi and the whole Islamic Establishment.

To illustrate this point, she shared some specific initiatives, some already being implemented and others being debated in parliament, to uplift Iranian women in economics, law, politics, and other key fields.

She said that Iran was not only moving to ensure enhanced women's rights at home but also seeking to promote the status of women abroad, especially in light of the conflict in Gaza and the lingering refugee crisis from Afghanistan.

Khazali also argued that Iran was not envious of the women's rights conditions in the West, listing some negative statistics of the plight of women in the United States.

Instead, she stated that Tehran was committed to paving its path toward supporting the struggle for better female representation and empowerment in the Islamic Republic, even leaving room for the possibility of a future female president in Iran.