Following meetings with former President Hashemi Rafsanjani — a key backer of President-elect Hassan Rouhani — the conservative Zeinab Society has announced plans for a new movement for women’s rights.

The Zeinab Society’s Secretary Azam Haji Abbasi said, “With the consideration of [Rafsanjani’s] guidance, we concluded that the precursor for the greater activity of women in various arenas, including increasing the number of female representatives in Parliament, is the creation of a non-partisan party.”

Another leading Society member, Masoume Rezaei, added, “We have introduced the proposal of [establishing] the Ministry of Women in order to address women’s issues in all arenas, and a Women’s Affairs Department must be established in all ministries.”

She continued, “We seek the presence of women in the decision-making councils and the Supreme Economy and Money Council and the Supreme National Security Council.”

Rouhani had emphasized women voters and women’s rights during his election campaign.

Meanwhile, Sepah News — the official PR outlet of the Revolutionary Guards — took the unusual step of featuring an image of a woman on its website: the leader of the Basij Women’s Society Minu Aslani. Aslani announced that the Society had created over 100,000 circles of pious sisters who meet each week to discuss modesty and the hijab, and then discuss the issues raised in working groups. The report comes after Aslani announced in October that 50,000 Basij members had been trained to preach about chastity and the hijab.

by Ben Offiler, Joanna Paraszczuk, Scott Lucas
EA Worldview