Mobilization of Basij to Control the 'Supra-Governmental' Center for Women and Family

The Basij Organization has initiated efforts to take control of the 'supra-governmental' center for women and family by presenting a plan to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Last year, Khamenei called for the establishment of a 'superior and supra-governmental' center to develop a 'correct' strategy regarding the issue of 'women and family' during a meeting with 'elite' women on Women's Week. He stated that this center should focus on avoiding the legitimization of 'wrong, stereotypical, and rigid Western' thoughts in women's affairs, relying on 'pure Islamic' texts and teachings, and addressing issues that are 'truly' the main concerns of women. The Basij Women's Community submitted the 'Supreme Center for Women and Family' plan to Khamenei last week, which, if approved by the Supreme Leader, would allow this paramilitary force to dominate the center. Minou Aslani, head of the Basij Women's Community, announced that this organization is the 'first' entity to prepare this plan within less than a year with the aim of 'organizing' women's and family issues in three areas: opinion, culture, and implementation. Aslani declared the necessity of forming this center as a response to the 'women's crisis' that has spread from the West to all countries, including Iran, and added that although women's 'identity' was reconsidered after the revolution, the Islamic and revolutionary thoughts did not materialize in practice. She cited the effects of 'soft war' in undermining the family and promoting 'licentiousness,' as well as internal weaknesses due to a lack of a 'correct' perspective on women's issues as reasons for this failure. Aslani considers women's issues to be the 'root' of many social problems and added that a 'superficial' approach to women's issues and the 'exploitation' of women's demands by political movements, partly influenced by feminist ideas, have exacerbated these problems. What are the missions of the Supreme Center for 'Women and Family'? Among the principles announced by the Basij designers for this center are the governance of 'authentic Islamic values,' establishing affairs based on the 'guidelines' of Ruhollah Khomeini and Ali Khamenei, 'preserving' the values of the revolution, not adopting a 'passive approach' towards international pressures in the area of women and family, not being influenced by feminist principles, and giving equal attention to women's and family issues. The inherent characteristics of women in moral, spiritual, physical, and instinctual dimensions (emphasizing maternal and spousal roles and prioritizing employment in certain jobs) and striving to realize the model of Islamic women and family (prioritizing family over employment) are also addressed in this plan. If Khamenei approves the Basij's plan and it is ratified by the parliament, this center will become the highest authority in the Islamic Republic regarding policymaking for women and family. Consequently, all its resolutions will be mandatory for all institutions, organizations, and influential bodies in the field of women and family, and all activities of influential institutions in this area must align with the overarching policies of this center. Most importantly, officials in the women and family sectors of institutions and organizations will also be approved by the secretariat of this center. The Supreme Center for Women and Family will conduct its activities to guide and influence related centers in the areas of policymaking, planning, legislation, and cultural, judicial, executive, and security theorizing. The realization of the 'guidelines' of the Supreme Leader in the area of women and family and the macro policymaking of the system in this domain are among the most important missions announced for this center. This center is also set to be the 'coordinator and guide' of the approaches of policymaking, legislative, research, executive, staffing, cultural, and 'influential' centers in the relationships of women and family at the national, regional, Islamic world, and international levels, 'leading' security centers in the area of women and family, and maintaining continuous 'interaction' with the grassroots across the country. The necessity of establishing a supra-governmental center for women after more than three decades of dissatisfaction with the situation of hijab, marriage, childbearing, and women's employment in Iran (following lifestyle changes), the multiplicity of authorities in women's affairs in decision-making centers, and the lack of coordination among them, as well as the diversity of governmental women's groups in the Islamic Republic, may be reasons for the Supreme Leader's proposal to establish a supra-governmental institution in women's affairs. It seems that changes in approaches to women's issues following government transitions, the failure of various organizations to promote the model of Islamic women among the younger generation after more than three decades of activity, and the rising costs of negative interactions with half of the population have led Khamenei to conclude that at least policymaking in the area of women should be monopolized by organizations and forces committed to the accepted model of women in the Islamic Republic. The Basij Organization, which has previously invested heavily in areas such as cyberspace, resistant economy, and other cultural-social issues, has now begun efforts to take control of this organization by preparing the plan for the Supreme Center for 'Women and Family.' This paramilitary entity, which transformed from a force into an organization after the events of 2009, has expanded its activities in recent years and entered new mission areas with comprehensive proposals in various fields. Previously, Laleh Otakhari, a conservative member of parliament and member of the women's faction, announced the submission of a joint plan from the government, parliament, and the Cultural and Social Council of Women to Khamenei's office for the establishment of a supra-governmental center in women's affairs. It seems that the plan that Otakhari mentioned in May was not satisfactory to the Supreme Leader, prompting the Basij to submit another plan to him. If Khamenei approves the Basij's plan, this paramilitary organization will officially become the highest decision-making and policymaking authority in women's and family affairs in the Islamic Republic.