Rouhani Emphasizes the Importance of Women's Participation in Elections

The President of Iran, Hassan Rouhani, emphasized the importance of women's participation in the elections on the fifth day of registration for candidates for the Islamic Consultative Assembly. On Monday, December 30, he stated, "If women's presence in all important political, social, religious, and cultural matters is not more prominent [than men's], it is not less so." He added, "In the elections for the Islamic Consultative Assembly and the Assembly of Experts, all those who are qualified should participate, and this composition is important to us, regardless of whether the representative is male or female." Rouhani noted that a significant number of women is important from the perspective of global public opinion, stressing that the world needs to understand that in this country, nothing is based on gender but rather on merit. He called on qualified women across the country to register for the elections. Recently, a generally critical resolution regarding human rights in Iran, supported by 81 countries at the United Nations, welcomed the Iranian government's efforts to reduce inequalities and discrimination against minorities and women. Hardline clerics in Iran have repeatedly warned about the "equality" of women's rights and their presence in various political and social arenas. Ahmad Jannati, the Secretary of the Guardian Council, which confirms the qualifications of representatives in Iran, has recently strongly criticized the equality of women's and men's rights in Iran. The country's election headquarters reported that the number of women who have registered for the Islamic Consultative Assembly elections has reached 105. So far, nearly 2,000 individuals have registered for the elections for the Consultative Assembly and the Assembly of Experts. Mohammad Hossein Moqimi, the head of Iran's election headquarters, stated on the morning of December 30 that 240 individuals have registered for the Assembly of Experts and 1,689 for the tenth elections of the Islamic Consultative Assembly. On the other hand, Ali-Asghar Nasirbakht, the head of the election headquarters of Tehran's governorate, reported on Monday that the number of female candidates from Tehran is 34, of which 4 are from religious minorities. According to Nasirbakht, the majority of registered candidates are between the ages of 36 to 40 and 46 to 50. Among the 249 Tehran citizens who have registered for the parliamentary elections in Esfand, 188 hold master's degrees and 52 have doctorates. In this context, the Minister of Interior reported a "red security status" in 10 electoral districts, hinting at concerns regarding the integrity of the elections for the Consultative Assembly and the Assembly of Experts.