A total number of 10,810 women’s cooperatives with around 191,000 female members and a working capital of 1,545 billion rials (about $44 billion) are active in Iran, ISNA quoted Negin as saying.

Speaking on the occasion of the Cooperatives Week (September 3-10), Negin noted that a number of 11 million women are members of different cooperatives nationwide and play an active role in national economic development and job creation.

Manufacturing units account for about 61 percent of women’s cooperatives, she said, adding that the shares of service companies and distribution companies are 36 percent and 3 percent respectively, the official said.

Women’s cooperatives are active in 96 manufacturing, service, and distribution fields including textile, leather, clothing, agriculture, construction, carpet, handicrafts, education, food, medicine, and computer industries, she added.

Tehran province has the highest number of women’s cooperatives in the country with more than 12,770 cooperatives, Negin said.

Women’s cooperatives can expedite materialization of social justice, Negin said, adding women’s cooperatives can lay the groundwork for social, economic, and cultural activities of women far from any discrimination.

NM/MG