Public Relations Director Denies Gender Segregation at IRIB

The public relations director of the Iranian state television organization denied the news of gender segregation at IRIB on Tuesday, July 2, calling it a "rumor" and "media mischief." The Iranian Labor News Agency, ILNA, reported on Sunday, June 31, citing "informed sources," that a "gender segregation plan" had begun in Iranian radio networks by order of the deputy of the IRIB. ILNA's report stated that following this order, female employees and secretaries were moved from "all rooms managed by men" in various radio networks, including sports, economy, and youth radio. Now, the Iranian state news agency, IRNA, quoted Ali Khodabakhsh, the public relations director of the television department, accusing ILNA of "spreading rumors" and stating that ILNA "published news without inquiry on this matter." According to Mr. Khodabakhsh, the managers of the IRIB "neither believe in nor have the time for this work." Last year, the issue of banning women from working in cafes and gender segregation at the Tehran municipality was a topic of discussion between the government and agencies such as the police and the municipality. The Tehran municipality had announced in a protocol last year that all senior and mid-level managers in the municipality should only use male employees for roles such as office manager, secretary, telephone operator, typist, and follow-up officer in their offices. Some managers in Hassan Rouhani's government opposed this decree, while a number of parliament representatives and Friday prayer leaders supported it. In this context, the prohibition of women performing music "in 12 provinces of Iran," "discrimination" in employment tests, and the government's and women's reactions to the "beginning" of the gender segregation plan at IRIB are notable.