Iranian press review: Activists challenge Pezeshkian’s stance on gender equality

Pezeshkian’s election ignites debate on women's rights

Masoud Pezeshkian's election as a candidate supported by Iranian reformists has once again brought women’s demands for equal rights to the forefront of social discussions in Iran. 

However, many activists argued that Pezeshkian's views on women’s rights align with the traditional and restrictive attitudes of the establishment. Activists seized on Pezeshkian's victory as an opportunity to highlight the ongoing injustices against women.

Shima Ghooshe, an Iranian feminist lawyer, urged Pezeshkian to take concrete actions to advance women's rights in the country rather than merely discussing them. 

“To say ‘I know that women have these demands’ is not enough. Not only in Iran but worldwide, everyone knows our demands. But what is being done to address them?” Ghooshe was quoted by the Etemad daily as saying.

She emphasised gender equality as one of Iranian women's main demands have for the president, contrasting it with Pezeshkian's campaign focus on "gender justice". 

“He talks about gender justice, but we are talking about gender equality. For years, women's demand has been equality, not gender justice. The term gender justice has been proposed and repeated [by the establishment] to suppress [women],” she said. 

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In an interview with the daily, Morteza Nazari, a university lecturer and former head of the information centre of the Ministry of Education, announced the appointment of more than 20,000 school principals and widespread political interference in the education sector.

Schools in Iran became the focus of international attention after the 2022 nationwide anti-establishment uprising. During the protests, schoolgirls joined the movement, chanting slogans against the government in classrooms and tearing pictures of the country's supreme leader from their textbooks.

According to Etemad's report, teachers and administrators who supported the protesting students were either disciplined, their salaries and ranks reduced, or reprimanded or denied promotions.

"The officials of the Ministry of Education lacked leadership and were unaware of generational changes, trying to control the teachers and administrators with orders,"  Etemad quoted Nazari as saying.

"Instead of talking to the teachers, they filed disciplinary cases against them."

Pezeshkian’s remarks spark widespread anger

Remarks made by President Pezeshkian in parliament regarding those who boycotted the last presidential election have sparked negative reactions.

In a brief speech in parliament, Pezeshkian said the people who participated in the election "struck a strong blow to the mouths of those both inside and outside the country who were promoting [the boycott of the election]."

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The first round of the recent presidential election in Iran witnessed the lowest turnout in the country's history, while the turnout in the second round reached nearly 50 percent.

Keyvan Samimi, a political activist critical of the government who supported voting for Pezeshkian in the second round, criticised him for changing his attitude after winning the elections.

"The things I heard [from Pezeshkian] before the elections are different from some of the things I hear now… Today, he used violent rhetoric. It is necessary to immediately apologise to the opponents of voting and recognise the right to civil protest," Samimi wrote on Telegram.

One of the president's supporters, also wrote on X: "Pezeshkian still has my vote, but he is so wrong when he sees my support as a mandate to silence others.

"Those close to him will betray him if they don't convey these words to him. Honesty and transparency are not the same as shamelessness!”

Alarm over spike in of drug addiction and deaths

Social experts have raised alarms over the escalating drug addiction crisis in Iran, highlighting a staggering number of addicts and fatalities attributed to drug use. 

Announcing that there are 4.4 million regular and intermittent drug users across the nation, experts warn of the critical conditions surrounding addiction in the country.

In a recent report, the Arman daily wrote that, considering the family members of those suffering from addiction, approximately 15 million people are affected directly or indirectly by this pervasive issue.

The report also highlighted the grim reality of drug-related deaths in Iran. With around 4,000 fatalities annually due to drug use, Iran ranks among the countries with the highest addiction-related death tolls globally.

Adding to the concern is the decreasing age of drug users, which has elicited significant reactions from experts. 

Statistics indicate that the prevalence rate of addiction stands at five percent among the active population, two percent among school students, and a worrying 22 percent among the working class population.