December 6, 2015: Saying that working has enabled women in gaining independence leading to an increased divorce rate, Isfahan-based Ayatollah Tabatabai-Nejad has proposed “a ban on women working in ministries, in companies, or as shop assistants.”
Blaming President Rouhani for encouraging the encroachment of Western values in Iran, the influential cleric accused Rouhani of “pursuing policies that promote women, including encouraging them to work in politics.”
After the signing of the JCPOA (Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action) nuclear deal, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei has ramped up the anti-Western rhetoric around concerns about Western infiltration in Iran. Activists and public policy experts are concerned about the impact this backlash will have on Iranian women.
