Moulavardi Reports Increase in Unemployment and Addiction Among Girls

The Iranian Vice President for Women and Family Affairs warned that "glass ceilings" in Iran are preventing educated girls from entering the job market, leading to an increase in unemployment rates among them. On Saturday, January 22, Shahindokht Moulavardi, an aide to Hassan Rouhani, stated at the National Congress on "Youth Affairs Management" that "currently, girls have less access to managerial jobs." Moulavardi added that girls are more inclined towards higher education than boys, but "glass ceilings" hinder their entry. She criticized the rising unemployment rates among young girls and called for conditions to be created to promote educated girls. The Vice President also criticized the increase in addiction rates among girls, noting that 9% of addicts in the country are women. She expressed concern over the shift in drug consumption patterns from traditional substances to industrial and psychoactive drugs, especially among girls. Unemployment is cited as one of the factors contributing to the rise in drug use among both girls and boys in Iran. According to statistics and reports, Iranian women, despite occupying a significant portion of university capacities, have a strong desire to enter the job market. However, these statistics also reveal that in the summer of this year, the unemployment rate for women was about 22%, nearly double the overall unemployment rate in Iran. Over the past years, the number of women pursuing higher education has significantly increased, and the population of female students and graduates has closely approached that of their male counterparts. However, the increase in female university entrants does not correspond to their acceptance in the job market or employment opportunities in the country. The Iranian Vice President for Women had previously described the labor market in Iran as characterized by "gender imbalance" and a "male preference." Moulavardi stated that in Iran, women's economic workforce is considered "marginal." Additionally, what is described as "male preference" in the labor market, the enactment of laws preventing women's employment in certain places and businesses, or the lack of equal government opportunities for both men and women also contribute to women's unemployment. Last year, statistics showed that a total of 51.02% of university graduates in Iran were "inactive." The unemployment rate for female graduates in the country exceeds 65%. In this context, the highest unemployment rate in the last 16 quarters reached 12.7%. The phenomenon of modern marginalization in Iranian metropolises highlights the deep gender gap in the employment of students and graduates. Issues such as the sterilization of homeless women raise questions about whether they are solutions or crimes. Better jobs and key positions are often seen as "all for men."