With a decree, the ministry eliminates barriers and discrimination, favoring climb to top positions. There are 17,000 women employed in the industry, 7% with roles of responsibility. The ability to work on platforms is blocked. For the Central Bank the GDP grew by 12.5%; chiefly form proceeds from the sale of oil.
Tehran (AsiaNews) - The petroleum industry in Iran is increasingly an employment and career opportunity for women, thanks to the abolition of barriers and the introduction [by law] of gender equality and equal opportunities. Confirmation comes from Iranian oil minister Bijan Namdar Zanganeh, who issued a decree implementing anti-gender discrimination and encouraging the rise of women in the field, rewarding their skills and capabilities.
Women are not allowed to work - as laborers - on petroleum platforms and those dedicated to gas extraction. A partial limitation, which does not diminish the scope of a decree confirming the growing role of the female world within the Islamic Republic and the ever larger spaces that can be carved out.
This is confirmed by the recent municipal elections, which have been the first to open the road to women in politics; In Tehran the top five candidate in the last vote were female. And the world of motor cross pilots has also been opened up to women as of last September.
The first appointment of a woman to a managerial role in the oil sector has recently taken place. She is Marzieh Shahdaei, who has served as National Administrative Director of the National Petrochemical Company. A first step, according to the Ministry, to offer "equal opportunities for work and career" with male colleagues.
To date, there are about 17,000 women working in the Iranian oil industry. Of these, at least 7,000 are employed and another 10,000 collaborate through contractual forms of various nature. A share of about 8% of the total workforce in the industry. The figure drops to 7% if you take into account managerial roles or degrees of responsibility.
Most women employed in the oil industry are between the ages of 30 and 34, with a past experience of at least 10/15 years. Over 70% of them have a bachelor's degree or a higher degree, demonstrating the high scientific and cultural level of women in the sector.
Meanwhile, the Iranian Central Bank (CBI) also confirms the two-digit economic growth of the country and the fruit of the reforms introduced by the recently re-elected President Hassan Rouhani. Taking into consideration the Iranian calendar, in the last year - 1395, which closed on March 20, 2017 - gross domestic product (GDP) marked a 12.5% growth. The figure also includes revenues from the oil sector and speaks of a total volume of $ 178.5 billion.
The decisive acceleration for GDP growth comes from the proceeds of the sale of black gold, which returned to the markets following the historic agreement on the atomic program, which resulted in a partial easing of the economic sanctions of the West. However, even excluding oil balance remains positive with a 3.3% increase over the previous year.
For the International Monetary Fund (IMF), GDP growth forecasts for 2016-17 should reach 6.6%.