Statement by

Ms. Fatemeh Arab Bafrani

Second Secretary

Permanent Mission of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the United Nations

Before the Third Committee of the 77th Session of the General Assembly

On Agenda Item 26: “Advancement of Women”

General Discussion

New York, 4 October 2022

In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful

Madam. Chair,

My delegation aligns itself with the statement made by Pakistan on behalf of the G77 and China.

Today is a critical day since the advancement of women is the headline of our discussions. In spite of notable success, the advancement of women and girls is still an unfinished job in need of further progress.

Despite the challenges ahead for Iranian women, I avail myself of this opportunity to highlight only a few recent developments at the national level.

In Iran women enjoy their right to education, to work, to own and sell property, to seek protection by the law, to vote, to participate in civic and political engagement, and to fully enjoy opportunities to advance themselves.

• The Civil Law is amended to grant Iranian citizenship to children born to Iranian mothers and non-Iranian fathers, in 2019;
• Another law is approved in 2021 to provide mothers, pregnant and nursing women with greater protection entitled “the Family Protection and Youthfulness of Population”;
• A law is approved on providing working mothers with 9 months of maternal leave and fathers with 14 days of paternal leave. During this period the salary and insurance are paid. The law also provides mothers of twins, triplets, and so forth with ONE year of maternal leave. In this vein, the Constitution focuses on providing extraordinary support for women and mothers, especially during pregnancy, widowhood, and old age.
• Another bill is drafted with the view to combating human and organ trafficking and punishment of human smugglers with a view to protecting women and girls as the most victims of such illegal activities;
• The national economic empowerment plans aiming to reduce the economic consequences during the pandemic are focused on people in vulnerable situations, including women heads of households and rural women and girls.

Several investments have been made in women in health, education, empowerment, and creating access to digital and internet facilities fields. As a result:

The women’s life expectancy has reached 79 years in 2020 and the Maternal Mortality Rate (MMR) has decreased to 16 cases in 2021.

Nearly 50 percent of internet users and 50 percent of higher education graduates in Iran are women.

As a result of intensified efforts to enhance the participation of women in decision-making, the Government has appointed women to managerial positions. This rate has risen from 13% in 2017 to more than 25% in 2021.

Women have also participated at the decision-making level as ministers and vice-presidents. Moreover, there are currently 4 ambassadors; 3 governors; 8 mayors; 62 deputy governors; 2,393 rural governors; 16 women parliamentarians; and 121 thousand female coaches. Women also constitute 73 % of health professionals and 49 % of physicians.

Today, in Iran, women represent 50% of journalists and media staff. More than 2 thousand female executive managers are working in the media sector. This strong presence of women in media has resulted in a significant increase in women’s standpoints and narratives, having been mainstreamed in all forms of media including journals, books, and cyberspace.

Mr. Chair,

While we are simultaneously facing challenges exacerbated by the illegal unilateral coercive measures imposed by the USA, the UN system should not shirk its responsibility in speaking up about this injustice. We applaud all collective efforts to bring attention to the adverse effects of economic sanctions on women and girls in developing countries. In this vein, I would like to refer to the recent report of the SR on UCMs to the 51st session of HRC on her visit to Iran. She points out the negative consequences of economic sanctions on the Iranian people, particularly on women and girls.

Finally, the Islamic Republic of Iran encourages all Member States and the UN system to avoid politicizing human rights issues. Despite the challenges regarding the economic sanctions on Iranians, we are still committed to ensuring our people's prosperity, dignity, and well-being, addressing the gaps and challenges, and cooperating constructively with the UN human rights mechanisms.

I thank you