WOMEN'S RIGHT IN IRAN ON SLOW DECLINE

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 02 DUBAI 000852

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 2/15/2016
TAGS: PREL PGOV IR SOCI SCUL
SUBJECT: WOMEN'S RIGHT IN IRAN ON SLOW DECLINE

REF: A. 05 DUBAI 4477, B. 05 DUBAI 6398

DUBAI 00000852 001.2 OF 002


CLASSIFIED BY: Jason L Davis, Consul General, Dubai, UAE.
REASON: 1.4 (d)

1.(SBU) Summary: Several Iranian women activists paint a picture
of an increasingly restrictive climate for women under President
Ahmadinejad, in terms of both joint activities with the West and
the legislative and judicial climate. The changes appear
designed to be gradual in nature, as opposed to more high
profile public harassment of women for their dress, make-up, or
male companions. Nonetheless, these activists expressed
optimism that Iranian demographics would bring about greater
freedoms in the long-term. End summary

Academic View
--------------

2.(S) In a February 8 conversation, Dr. Jaleh Shaditalab (please
protect),founder of the Women's Studies Center at Tehran
University, discussed women's issues in Iran with PolEconChief.
The recipient of advanced degrees from U.S. universities prior
to the 1979 revolution, Dr. Jaleh Shaditalab is an associate
professor in the Social Science Faculty and the founder of the
Women's Studies Center at Tehran University. She came to Dubai
to apply for a visa to speak at the Woodrow Wilson Center April
7, as well as at Arizona State University.

3.(S) Shaditalab noted some positive changes under the previous
administration, but overall disappointment in former President
Khatami. Signs of progress included the establishment of the
Women's Studies Center at Tehran University and the opening of
many women's issues-related NGOs. People were very hopeful, she
said, but in the end realized that they had unrealistic
expectations. Although Khatami was an intellectual and said the
right things, he was still a cleric and part of the regime.

4.(S) Shaditalab reported that since coming into office,
Ahmadinejad's government has tried to redirect women's issues to
focus primarily on the family. Women's NGOs were under
increasing pressure, though she said there has been no concrete
action against them yet. She was recently removed as director
of the Women's Studies Center when her term ended, whereas
customarily her term would have been extended. Under her
leadership, the center had many grants from European entities,
totaling $600,000. The new director, however, canceled all
projects with foreign partners. Shaditalab also had UN grants
on gender-violence projects, which were also canceled, and she
said the UN is unsure how to proceed in Iran. She has heard
that she has been blacklisted as a consultant on women's
projects, and she believes it is because the government fears
she might leak information that would end up with the UN's human
rights commission.

5.(S) Shaditalab said she used to meet regularly with
representatives of the Sixth Majles but never sees anyone from
the current Seventh Majles, and that all of its 12 female
members are conservatives. The parliament recently contacted
her to request a report for use at an upcoming UN conference on
women (presumably the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW)
February 27-March 10),but she declined, referring them instead
to the follow-up report to the Beijing Conference prepared by
the previous administration. However, they refused to use the
old report because it was issued in the name of the reformist
government.

6.(S) Despite such backwards steps, Shaditalab said, she is
optimistic long-term regarding women's rights in Iran. She said
that the youth of Iran today are very smart and will put
pressure on the government, noting that 64% of university
students are women. Shaditalab also said it was significant
that 28% of women in Tehran and 15% in rural areas are listed as
unemployed, explaining that only those who say they are seeking
employment are counted in these statistics. She said it was a
new phenomenon that so many women, particularly in rural areas,
would declare themselves to be seeking employment.

NGO View
--------------

7.(C) Three representatives from Iranian women NGOs came to the
consulate February 15 to apply for visas to go to the CSW. It
was noteworthy that the most talkative of the three, who said
she represents a new NGO, was openly critical of Iranian
government backsliding in terms of women's issues. She said
that of the 41 pieces of women-related legislation passed by the
previous Majles, the Guardians Council had rejected 20 of them.
While Iran has hundreds of women's NGOs, most are local; she
complained of the lack of a national organization for women.
When asked about regional interaction between women's groups,
she mentioned numerous exchanges with Afghan women. She said in
some respects, Afghanistan was more progressive than Iran, given

DUBAI 00000852 002.2 OF 002


the fact that unlike Iran, it now had women ministers.

Businesswoman's View
--------------

8.(S) In a separate conversation, another Iranian women's rights
activist also expressed pessimism regarding the effect
Ahmadinejad will have on women's issues in Iran. Leila Bokaie
(please protect) applied for a visa February 13 to attend the
World Bank's Women in the Middle East Roundtable, representing
businesswomen in Iran. She told PolEconOff that she used to
work for the government, but two years ago participated in a
government 'buyout' program and now works in the private sector.
She is also involved in "White Home", a women's club designed
to improve the status of women at work. She described the role
of women in the workplace across the world as extremely unequal
-- even in the U.S. -- but in Iran, she said it was particularly
poor.

9.(S) Bokaie believes the deterioration of women's rights under
the new president will not be the result of a single event, but
rather a slow buildup of decisions over the next three years or
so. As an example, she said she believes conservative judges
are feeling increasingly empowered to act against women in cases
such as divorce, even when the facts favor the wife's case.

Comment
--------------

10.(S) We have not heard reports of any high-profile crackdown
on women in obvious ways, such as a dramatic up-tick in the
harassment of women in public for their dress or make-up. It is
likely that Ahmadinejad will continue to avoid public "morality"
crackdowns in order to avoid antagonizing Iranian society at a
time when he is seeking to consolidate support. We have heard,
however, of increased attention to conservative dress for women
on university campuses. We also continue to hear hints of a
more repressive situation for NGOs as a whole, and a
government-orchestrated attempt to redefine women's issues as
only those related to the family (reftels A and B). Bokaie's
prediction of a gradual degradation of women's rights over the
next few years seems likely, if events in Iran continue in the
current direction. On the other hand, it seems unavoidable that
Iran's increasingly well-educated female population will - over
time - obtain greater rights.
DAVIS