Iran’s ambassador to the UN: Despite oppressive western sanctions, Iranian women are determined to build a fairer future

Pars Today - Iran's ambassador and deputy representative at the United Nations said at the Commission on the Status of Women session that while some foreign countries are attempting to undermine the rights of Iranian women through pressure, these women remain resolute in building a fairer future for themselves and their communities.

Zahra Ershadi, Iran's ambassador and deputy representative at the UN, on Friday at the 69th session of the Commission on the Status of Women in New York stated: Despite the negative impacts of unilateral sanctions and the failed policy of maximum pressure, Iranian women continue to advance along the path of progress and strengthen their families and society.

According to Pars Today, citing IRNA, the deputy representative of Iran at the UN emphasized: "The resilience, determination, and unwavering will of Iranian women have been key factors in their progress across all aspects of life. While some foreign countries are trying to weaken their rights through pressure, Iranian women will remain steadfast in building a fairer future for themselves and their communities." 

Ershadi highlighted the personal and social advancements of Iranian women since the Islamic Revolution, emphasizing: "The Islamic Republic of Iran recognizes the pivotal role of women in promoting social, cultural, political, and economic development."

Today, Iranian women constitute 33% of university faculty members, 40% of specialized physicians, 30% of super-specialized doctors, over 50% of the healthcare workforce, 45% of the public sector workforce, and 74% of the private sector workforce. 

The deputy representative of Iran at the UN noted that annually, 300,000 rural and nomadic Iranian women receive entrepreneurial training, and 32,000 economic enterprises in Iran are owned by women. Iranian women have also secured 41% of new jobs.

In the current administration, over 190 women have been appointed to managerial positions in the Islamic Republic, including four women in the cabinet (such as the government spokesperson and the Minister of Roads and Urban Development), 14 female heads of government institutions, 13 deputy ministers, 17 ministerial advisors and assistants, 110 general managers, 17 provincial governors, and 16 district governors. 

In the continuation of her speech, Ershadi pointed to the ongoing crimes of Israel against Palestinians, particularly women and children, stating: "The brutal actions of the Zionist regime in Gaza amount to nothing less than a merciless campaign of genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity.

The widespread massacre of women, innocent children, the deliberate destruction of vital infrastructure, and the barbaric displacement of Palestinians have deprived Palestinian women and girls of their most basic human rights and eliminated any possibility of their empowerment." 

The deputy representative of Iran at the UN called on the international community to properly recognize such atrocities and take immediate and decisive action to hold the perpetrators of these crimes accountable.  

MG/ME