Deputy of Women's Affairs in Rouhani's Government Considers 'Childbearing' Essential

On Sunday, December 23, the deputy of Masoud Behzadpour in women's affairs supported the 'Youth Population Law' and considered the phenomenon of 'child marriage' cultural, declaring 'economic empowerment' as the main priority for women in the country. This comes as women's rights advocates, particularly Nobel Peace Prize winner Narges Mohammadi, have repeatedly stated that 'eliminating gender apartheid' should be the priority for women. Zahra Behrouz Azar, in a detailed interview with Etemad newspaper, discussed the drafting of the 'Chastity and Hijab Law,' which was sent to the parliament during the thirteenth government. Instead of being reviewed in a public session, it was referred to a commission under Article 85 and approved in non-public sessions. She added, 'This method has led to the social, psychological, and economic dimensions of the law being overlooked.' This senior official of the fourteenth government reiterated the criticisms of Behzadpour's cabinet, stating that this law, emphasizing punishments such as fines and work prohibitions, could lead to 'weakening social solidarity' and 'alienating individuals from collective values.' Behrouz Azar also considered issues such as the use of private sector cameras and the involvement of public groups, including 'foreign nationals' in enforcing the law, as challenging due to conflicts with other laws and the potential for social tensions. Meanwhile, Fatemeh Mohammadi, head of the 'Women and Family Fraction' in parliament, protested the halt of the 'Chastity and Hijab Law' implementation, stating, 'Critique and reform of the law may be possible, but its implementation should not be stopped.' Defending the approval of this law in the eleventh parliament, she considered it a 'comprehensive law regarding chastity and hijab.' It is noteworthy that the main disagreement between the government and parliament over the 'Chastity and Hijab Law' is due to 'security' reasons and fears of the spread of civil disobedience. Contrary to the views of opponents of mandatory hijab, none of the governmental criticisms have referenced 'the right to choose one's clothing.' Behrouz Azar emphasized the security risks of the 'Chastity and Hijab Law,' stating that 'according to surveys, about 85% of people believe that hijab is a cultural and educational issue and oppose judicial and criminal action against it.' She added that 'experts warn that this law will not only fail to gain public satisfaction but also that public participation in its enforcement will be minimal.' The Deputy of Women's Affairs in the fourteenth government, in another part of this interview, responded to a reporter's question about government support for child marriage, saying that 'child marriage has cultural roots, and mere legal reform is not enough,' but 'legal reform is on the agenda.' In the continuation of this interview, Behrouz Azar deemed the 'Youth Population Law,' which experts say poses numerous life-threatening risks by prohibiting screening and preventing pregnancy, as essential. She stated, 'If we continue at this rate, by the year 1480 (according to the Iranian calendar), the country's population will be 30 million. This means we will have an Iran with a population of 30 million.' The Deputy of Women's Affairs in the fourteenth government considered childbearing accompanied by a 'good feeling' essential, promising financial support and welfare services to working women during pregnancy. She added, 'If the current trend continues, Iran's population will reach 30 million by the year 1480. To preserve Iran, we must strengthen the population.' Behrouz Azar stated, 'We now have 10 to 15 years to correct this trend, and the role of women in this path is very important.' This call by the Deputy of Women's Affairs in the fourteenth government for childbearing aligns with the repeated recommendations of Ali Khamenei to women as their 'most important duty,' which he emphasized again on December 21.