Despite sanctions, Iranian women determined to build a more just future: UN envoy

Iran’s deputy permanent representative to the United Nations has said that the resolve of Iranian women remains unshaken despite sanctions imposed by the West.

Zahra Ershadi affirmed the resilience and determination of Iranian women in building a more just future at the 69th UN Commission on the Status of Women in New York on Friday.

Ershadi, in her remarks, highlighted the Islamic Republic’s commitment to promoting women’s rights and their significant contributions to strengthening Iranian society and families.

“Despite the negative impacts of unilateral coercive measures (UCMs) and the already-failed Maximum Pressure campaign, Iranian women continue to pave the way for progress and strengthen their society and their family,” Ershadi said.

“Their resilience and determination have been key in fostering advancements in all aspects of their lives. While external pressures aim to undermine their rights, Iranian women persist in shaping a more equitable future for themselves and their communities.”

Underlining that the Islamic Republic acknowledges the crucial role of women in driving social, cultural, political and economic progress, the Iranian envoy said significant strides have been made in promoting inclusive growth and safeguarding women’s rights across diverse sectors.

“Women now represent 33% of university faculty, 40% in medical sciences, and more than 50% in healthcare, with 40% of specialist and 30% of subspecialist doctors.

“Women also make up 45% of the public sector workforce, 74% in the private sector, and own 32,000 businesses. Each year, 300,000 rural and nomadic women receive entrepreneurship training, and women have secured 41% of new jobs,” Ershadi said.

The envoy also touched on Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian’s significant focus on women’s participation in policy making, which led to the appointment of over 190 women to managerial positions across the country.

Ershadi underscored Pezeshkian’s directive to further boost women’s leadership roles in provincial governorships, municipal offices, and key government sectors.

Unilateral sanctions hinder Iranian women’s empowerment, prosperity: Experts

A female activist in Swiss also spoke of Iranian pregnant women who are unable to receive standard medical services due to sanctions.

‘Systematic’ effort to undermine Palestinian women

Elsewhere in her address, Iran’s deputy permanent representative to the UN said Israel’s aggression on the besieged Gaza Strip is part of a “systematic effort” to strip Palestinians of their dignity and undermine Palestinian women’s empowerment.

“In my region, the Israeli apartheid regime’s barbaric actions in Gaza are nothing short of a ruthless campaign of genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity. The mass slaughter of innocent civilians, women, children, and the elderly, along with the deliberate destruction of essential infrastructure and the brutal displacement of entire communities, is an unspeakable violation of basic human rights,” Ershadi said.

“These atrocities are not merely isolated incidents; they are part of a systematic effort to annihilate the Palestinian people and strip them of their dignity and existence.”

The envoy emphasized that Israel’s ongoing violence against Gaza continues to prevent Palestinian women and girls from enjoying their fundamental human rights and undermines any possibility for their empowerment.

“The international community must recognize these horrors for what they truly are and take immediate and decisive action to hold those responsible accountable,” she added.

Backed by the United States and its Western allies, Israel launched the war on Gaza on October 7, 2023, after the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas carried out Operation Al-Aqsa Flood against the Israeli regime in response to its decades-long campaign of oppression against Palestinians.

The regime’s bloody onslaught on Gaza has so far killed at least 48,524 Palestinians, mostly women and children, and injured 111,955 others. Thousands more are also missing and presumed dead under the rubble.

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