TEHRAN – Women’s economic empowerment in Iran increased by 1.1 percent in the year 1396 (Iranian calendar which falling between March 2107 and March 2018) year on year, IRNA reported on Friday.

The average rate of men’s economic contribution in 1395 (March 2016-March 2017) was 64.1 percent while this amount is 49 percent lower for women, standing at 14.9 percent in the corresponding period.

According to the latest statistics released by the Budget and Planning Organization, the women’s workforce population have reached to more than 5.2 million, showing an increase of 340,027 female workforce on a year-on-year comparison, the organization chief Mohammad Baqer Nobakht has said.

The figures show that some 314,341 women were employed in 1396, Nobakht said, adding the number of unemployed women had a growth of 25,686 over the same period.

Women’s unemployment rate had been 20.7 percent in 1395, having a decrease of 0.9 percent in 1396, reaching to the amount of 19.8 percent, Nobakht stated. 

In addition to three women in President Rouhani’s cabinet, there are seven female deputy ministers and tens of female advisors and general managers, Nobakht highlighted, noting that this shows that the government is bent on empowering women.

Women’s economic empowerment is a sign of development of every society, he concluded.

NM/MQ