Teheran steps up gender segregation

New regulations have been put in place to segregate men and women in offices, hospitals and universities to "preserve Islamic culture". Using religion as a pretext, Teheran is targeting women as one of the most active elements of Iranian society, dangerous because of its strong calls for reforms and human rights.

Teheran (AsiaNews) – The Iranian regime is stepping up measures to segregate men and women in public places like state offices, universities, schools, hospitals and even parks. This was denounced by the Resistance abroad, a coalition of democratic organizations and personalities who migrated from Iran.

The latest initiative comes from the head of Administration and Finance of the Social Welfare Organization, Akbar Abbasi Maleki, who sent an official memorandum to his regional directors nationwide, instructing them to expedite "gender segregation in work places in order to preserve Islamic culture".

Meanwhile, the government daily Khorrasan mentioned a project to set up women-only clinics. According to sources of the Iranian Health Ministry, "the construction of women-only hospitals was deliberated by the department even before the project was approved by the government ministers."

Further, Mohammad Mohammadian, representative of the regime's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei for universities, said: "Installation of close circuit cameras, separate entrance and exit doors for men and women and a ban on non-segregated summer camps have been approved in the universities." The latest directives follow instruments already used by the regime, including the anti-vice office, the Basij paramilitary force and the chastity patrols.

On its website, the Resistance slammed the "misogynous policies of the mullahs", with which Teheran "seeks to barbarically suppress those portions of society which are the driving force behind social uprisings". Women, together with youth, constitute the most active element of Iranian society. There are dozens of associations and magazines that fight for the elimination of laws discriminating against women and they are a powerful force of change in the country.

• iran
• women
• islam
• repression
• human
• rights
• equality
• fundamentalism
• religion
• society