TEHRAN –Oman's Minister of Social Development, Laila Ahmed Al Najjar expressed interest in boosting ties and sharing experiences in women and family affairs with Iran.

The Omani official held a bilateral meeting with the Iranian Vice President for Women and Family Affairs, Ensieh Khazali, in Tehran on Sunday, IRNA reported.

On the sidelines of a visit to the Iran Expo 2024 exhibition, Ahmed Al Najjar lauded Iranian women's progress and achievements.

She also went on to commend Iran's initiatives in addressing social harms, calling for exchanging experiences and collaborating on joint programs for women of the two countries.

Khazali, for her part, referred to cultural and social commonalities between Iran and Oman, proposing the implementation of joint family-related projects. She also called for holding joint exhibitions on women, especially in the field of handicrafts and knowledge-based companies.

The 6th International Export Potential Exhibition of the Islamic Republic of Iran (Iran Expo 2024) kicked off in Tehran on Saturday, April 27.

Iranian women empowered after Islamic Revolution

The status of women in various fields was improved after the Islamic Revolution and women, as half of the country’s population, have been leading in many fields.

After the victory of the Islamic Revolution in February 1979 by toppling the Pahlavi regime [the last Iranian royal dynasty, ruling for almost 54 years between 1925 and 1979], women were given equal rights to shape their futures. The Islamic Revolution provided them a chance to build their distinct identity and they have been tremendously successful in doing that. 

There were extensive changes in the fields of science, education, economy, employment, and presence in management positions for women. Now a large part of activists in various fields of academia, business, and management are made up of capable Iranian women.

Education as a social value for women is seen as real freedom for them. Illiteracy among women and girls has been nearly eradicated as the literacy rate reached 99.3 percent and the ratio of female to male students has increased by 28 percent.

According to the latest data, nearly 60 percent of all university students are females today. The percentage of women in higher education has increased nearly 21 times since the Revolution.

The notable presence of women in the education sector has had a remarkable impact on the job market of the country as well, with women taking more jobs in both the public and private sectors.

IORA potential to empower women

Iran plans to benefit from the potential of the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) to implement projects for empowering women in the country.

The 9th meeting of the Working Group of the  Women's Economic Empowerment (WGWEE) of the IORA was held virtually in April under the chairmanship of Iran and the presence of representatives of the member states.

The WGWEE is the main body tasked with improving Women's Economic Empowerment in IORA and was established in August 2018.

During the meeting, Khadijeh Karimi, director general for international affairs at the vice presidency for women and family affairs, while announcing Iran’s re-election as the chairman of the working group, emphasized the need for boosting cooperation among member states to be able to successfully implement the programs of the working group for the next two years, Mehr news agency reported.

“Currently, IORA’s working groups operate separately which has reduced the effectiveness of their actions. Therefore, the Islamic Republic of Iran aims to use the potential of other working groups to enhance women’s empowerment. Also, effective communication within the working group should be part of the agenda of other working groups,” Karimi said.

The meeting included a report of the work plan for the last two years, ongoing projects, and the proposals of the member countries were discussed and reviewed.

It was decided that the representatives of the member states submit their plans and proposals to our country through the secretariat after consulting with the relevant authorities for further consideration.

MT/MG