Tehran Mayor Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf defended his municipality's controversial gender segregation initiatives this past Friday ahead of Tehran's Friday prayer sermon. He argued that five recently built 'women only' parks in Tehran had been embraced by the captial's women, and the foreign media were fomenting an uproar around issues of morality and 'dignity' that Iranians themselves upheld. In recent weeks reports have emerged about the Tehran municipality reducing the number of women office works, with Qalibaf claiming that women and men working long hours alongside one another had a 'negative effect on family life.' When pressed about concerns that such policies would undermine women's rightful aspect to municipal employment, Qalibaf scoffed that such worries were external to Iranian society. "Let the BBC talk," he said magestically.
Interested in writing for IranWire?
Share your stories.
comments