Former Advisor to Rouhani: We Could Not Even Bring One Bill for Women to the Parliament

Shahindokht Molaverdi, former assistant to Hassan Rouhani on citizen affairs, in her first interview after leaving the government, acknowledged the challenges and obstacles she faced during the eleventh and twelfth governments, stating that due to opposition from rival factions, "we could not even bring one bill for women to the parliament." Molaverdi, who served as the Deputy for Women and Family Affairs in Rouhani's first government, later became the special assistant to the president in his second term. Her collaboration with the government ended in December 2018 following the enactment of a law prohibiting the employment of retirees, as she was retired. In a lengthy interview with the official IRNA news agency published on Thursday, she discussed the difficulties of working in the government, noting that she faced "serious obstacles and challenges" from the opposing faction throughout her tenure. Molaverdi explained these challenges by saying, "Every interview or discussion we had or any activity we started was doomed to attack and failure from the outset." During her years in the government, her efforts to uphold women's rights and civil rights were met with sensitivities and reactions from conservatives. Her opposition to the marriage of girls under 15, her efforts for women's attendance at volleyball stadiums, and her pursuit of the full implementation of the Citizen's Rights Charter were among her activities. Determining the legal status of children resulting from marriages between Iranian women and foreign nationals, efforts to draft a bill for women's security against violence, and a reform bill prohibiting the marriage of adopted children to their guardians were also among Molaverdi's initiatives as deputy and special assistant to the president, none of which reached a clear conclusion. In evaluating her work record in Rouhani's two governments, she emphasized that "the policy of denial and concealment in the field of women and social harms was set aside and attracting public attention in these areas was put on the agenda." She stated that initially, she was accused of "blackening the image," but she believes that only half of the way was covered, giving herself and her colleagues a score of ten out of twenty. Molaverdi further assesses the lack of any bills related to women sent to the parliament during the eleventh government as her biggest work flaw, while she had thought that by taking over the Women and Family Affairs deputyship, she would "shower the parliament with bills," which did not happen. According to Shahindokht Molaverdi, in countries like Iran that experience similar conditions, "the issue of women has become a political matter." Molaverdi says she tried to turn women's issues into a social matter and remove it from being a political issue, but she was unsuccessful. Referring to the controversies surrounding her activities, she said, "In a way, they led us to seek controversy; I can almost say that we had a story every day." In part of this interview, Molaverdi emphasizes that she was accused of "fabricating cases against the regime," which she denies. In September 2016, when she was in charge of Women and Family Affairs under Rouhani, she spoke about women's entry into stadiums and the sale of newborns. Molaverdi told ILNA that these days, even unborn babies are being sold, and although there are no statistics on them, their number has become significant. She also reported on a village in Sistan and Baluchestan province where all the men of the village had been executed. This statement led her to be summoned to court on charges of spreading falsehoods. She was also criticized for producing content for foreign media. However, Molaverdi defended her actions, saying, "Should we not speak? Should we remain silent because foreign media pay attention to my words?" She refused to comply with requests to "cover up the truth." According to Molaverdi, the programs she had in mind and the reports she was preparing have all remained "unfinished." She states that "public expectations have not been met, and on the eve of the second anniversary of the unveiling of the Citizen's Rights Charter, the expected impact of this charter has not been realized." The Citizen's Rights Charter; a "significant" step, an "unfinished" path. Hassan Rouhani, the President of Iran, signed a 120-article Citizen's Rights Charter in late December 2016, which describes the inspection of citizens' lives, religious and ethnic discrimination as contrary to the constitution of the Islamic Republic, and emphasizes the rights of women and minorities. The signing and unveiling of this charter faced opposition from conservatives, including Mohammad Yazdi, the head of the Society of Teachers of Qom Seminary, who called it "election propaganda" and "against the law," emphasizing that this charter should be reviewed by the parliament. However, the complete and thorough implementation of this charter is among the complaints directed at the government and the president, as these rights continue to be violated by various institutions and individuals. Shahindokht Molaverdi collaborated with the government during Mohammad Khatami's presidency at the Center for Women's Participation and held the secretary position of the Society for the Support of Women's Human Rights.