Group of Female Seminary Students in Mashhad Protests Against 'Gender Non-Separation' in UN Document for Iran

A group of female seminary students in Mashhad, continuing their opposition to the implementation of the UN's 2030 Education Agenda in Iran, issued a statement declaring that this document is not in line with 'Islamic values' and its implementation will lead to 'foreign domination.' According to Fars News Agency, this statement, published on Tuesday, April 15, evaluates 'gender equality' in this plan as 'a concrete manifestation of oppression and violence against women.' The statement mentions that one of the outcomes of this document is 'the lack of gender separation in the educational environment and the alteration of textbooks by removing maternal and spousal roles.' Other claims made in the statement regarding the results of the document include 'increased family crises, creating conflicts between men and women, and reducing family efficiency.' The female seminary students further stated that the implementation of the 18 indicators of UNESCO's 2030 Agenda in Iran would lead to 'foreign domination.' The statement also described the title of this program as 'ambiguous' and asserted that the educational text does not align with 'the higher documents of the system,' claiming that the assertion of considering the 'guidelines' of Ruhollah Khomeini and Ali Khamenei is merely for maintaining appearances. In conclusion, the female seminary students urged the responsible authorities to 'act within the framework of the laws of the Islamic Republic of Iran and refrain from accepting any commitments to international organizations.' Criticism and protests against the UN's 2030 Education Agenda have been ongoing since December 2016, following its unveiling in Tehran by conservatives. The 2030 Education Agenda is the fourth goal of the UN's Sustainable Development Agenda, adopted in September 2015 at the UN General Assembly. This agenda includes 17 main goals and 169 specific targets that outline the roadmap for the international community regarding sustainable development for the next 15 years. After the unveiling of this document, Kayhan newspaper and some news agencies and websites affiliated with the Revolutionary Guards published significant critical reports and discussions opposing it, a trend that continues. On January 18 of last year, Sohrab Salahi, head of the Basij of Professors, claimed that 'American spies' had deceived 'naive' officials under the guise of the 'UNESCO 2030' education project. Salahi wrote in a letter to members of the Supreme Council of Cultural Revolution and parliament representatives that he considers the 'UNESCO 2030' education project to be like the Charter of Citizen Rights 'one of the jokes of the 2017 presidential election.' He claimed that 'American spies' exploit the 'ignorance and naivety' of some 'naive officials' to provide the 'vast cultural capacity' to the United States. Previously, conservative media, including Kayhan newspaper and Tasnim News Agency, had described the 'National Education Document 2030' as a project for 'educational infiltration' in Iran. On December 31 of last year, Kayhan expressed concern that due to the 'gender equality and human rights and Western lifestyle being central in the UNESCO 2030 document,' Iran's cooperation with this organization could pave the way for international pressures and the adoption of UN resolutions against the Islamic Republic. A new wave of protests began in April this year following reports about the Supreme Council of Cultural Revolution's intention to approve this document.