Government Official Admits Discrimination Against Women; 'Only Three Women' Are University Presidents in Iran

The advisor for women's affairs and family of the Minister of Science has stated that 'only three women' are university presidents in the country, and when women seek to rise to higher operational management levels, 'they are not allowed to go beyond that level due to a glass ceiling.' Fakhr al-Sadat Nasiri emphasized that 'women see from afar' that 'they can grow to a higher rank, but they see the glass ceiling behind them, and while the path appears open, there are actually barriers.' The expression of these points by the 'advisor to the Minister of Science' and the emphasis on gender discrimination at high governance levels comes while Raisi stated on January 12, 2023, in Yazd that 'I ask all agencies to utilize the capacities of women; utilizing women's capabilities in the thirteenth government is not a mere formality, but a belief of this government.' The President of the Islamic Republic claimed on Saturday, February 11, 2023, that after the '1979 Islamic Revolution in Iran, women are free' and their presence in various fields is 'prominent.' However, the performance of Raisi's government bears no resemblance to his claims, as a Tehran-based newspaper in August 2022 reported on the government's performance in the field of women, stating that 'Raisi's half-hearted promises regarding women have not only not been realized, but women are facing even more restrictions.' The 'Hamdeli' newspaper at that time wrote about the will of part of the government to return to the 'restrictions of the 1980s' regarding women. This newspaper's report referred to the 'organized insult' to women, with a notable example being Ahmad Khatami, a member of the Assembly of Experts, who addressed the issue of hijab in a gathering of active cultural women in Qeshm, stating that 'most of the unveiled women do not have a proper livelihood.' In contrast, the state-run Iran newspaper claimed on July 12 of this year that the status of women in various sectors has improved, stating that the improvement in the country's job market has opened a new horizon for women, creating hope among them that this year's job market will make their demands more attainable. Mahdieh Golroo, a political activist, stated in an interview with Voice of America that according to Iranian laws, 'for a woman to work, her husband's permission is required,' saying, 'Many women lose their jobs and even do not get permission to study because they do not have their husband's consent.' According to Golroo, the Islamic Republic usually obscures the issue and promotes the idea that 'a working woman is not a good mother' to reduce the number of women who wish to work, while also establishing gender quotas in universities to decrease the number of educated women. 'Awake retirees are fed up with discrimination'; the slogan of retirees in Tehran. Preventing another Baha'i from studying in Iran; the Organization for Educational Testing: 'Your file is under review.' Discrimination in Iran has reached the healthcare sector; medicine is not accessible. A gathering of national retirees demanding 'freedom for imprisoned teachers' was held in at least 11 provinces. Continued neglect of female athletes | Hediyeh Kazemi: I gave up on employment; Zahra Nemati: I was left out of the national team camp in Korea!