Against a backdrop of evolving global conversations on women’s empowerment leadership and social progress, ‘Sunday Island’ had the privilege of speaking with the Ambassador of Iran in Sri Lanka, Dr. Alireza Delkhosh, on the dynamic role of women in Iran. From diplomacy and education to entrepreneurship and cultural identity, the discussion explored how women in Iran continue to shape with resilience, intellect and vision. From remarkable achievements in education, medicine, entrepreneurship to their growing influence in culture and diplomacy, Iranian women remain an integral force in shaping the country’sfuture. In this exclusive interview, the Ambassador of Iran shares insights into the evolving status of women in Iranian society, the challenges they face and the opportunities that continue to empower them in a rapidly changing world.

(Q) How would you describe the position of women in Iran today to a Sri Lankan audience that may only know Iran through international headlines?

(A) Women in Iran constitute more than half of the national population and represent a highly educated and socially influential segment of society. Over recent decades, Iran has achieved near-universal female literacy among younger generations, exceeding 98%, while women account for approximately 55–60% of university entrants in many academic years.

Despite external perceptions often shaped by political narratives, Iranian women are deeply integrated into key sectors, including education, healthcare, science, culture, and professional services and sports. Their role reflects not only educational advancement but also broad participation in national development.

(Q) How would you describe the role of Iranian women in wartime?

(A) During periods of national crisis, including the eight-year Iraq–Iran war, and more recent security incidents, such as the 12-day and 45-day conflicts in 2026, Iranian women have played an essential and often sacrificial role in supporting society. More than 1000 female martyrs recorded during the eight-year Saddam’s imposed war on war. Women were actively engaged in crucial sectors, such as healthcare, education, emergency services, and civil support systems. Many served as nurses, teachers, and medical staff in difficult and high-risk conditions, particularly in frontline and support hospitals. In wartime circumstances, a number of female educators, and healthcare workers, lost their lives while carrying out their professional duties, reflecting their commitment to both public service and national resilience.

In the more recent 12-day and 45-day wartime situations, women continued to serve in essential public roles, while also contributing to social stability and community support. Female medical personnel, teachers, and civil workers remained active in maintaining essential services under pressure, ensuring continuity in education, healthcare delivery, and public welfare. Women in these sectors were among those who faced direct risks while performing their duties. At least 46 female teacher martyred while teaching in classroom. Overall, the participation of Iranian women in such periods reflects a combination of professional dedication, social responsibility, and sacrifice in service of national stability and public wellbeing.

(Q) Iran is often depicted as conservative, yet many reports highlight high female participation in higher education and science. How do you explain this contrast?

(A) This issue is less a contradiction and more a confrontation between media narratives and reality. Today, women in Iran are present in professions that are considered unthinkable in many other countries. Iranian women play a decisive role in the healthcare system, education sector, armed forces, the judiciary, and other key institutions.

Following the expansion of the national education system, since the 1970s, access to education significantly increased for both rural and urban populations, and girls have actively and widely participated in this process. As a result, women’s presence in universities has grown dramatically, reaching more than 50 to 60 percent in many fields. Women’s participation is particularly prominent in disciplines such as medicine, pharmacy, and the humanities.

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(Q) Iranian women have major gains in literacy and university education over the decade. How does Iran compare with other West Asian countries in female education today?

(A) Iran is among the stronger performers in the region in terms of women’s education. For instance, female literacy is estimated at around 85–90% overall, and above 98% for youth. In higher education, women often represent a majority of students (50–70%) and in STEM and medical sciences, women’s participation is estimated at 60% or higher in some disciplines. Accordingly, compared to many West Asian countries, Iran ranks above regional averages in education indicators, though labour force participation remains comparatively lower.

(Q) What role do women play in Iran’s economic and social development?

(A) Women play a significant role in various sectors of Iran’s economic and social development, demonstrating substantial representation across key professional fields. In medicine, they are highly prominent, with approximately 60% of specialist physicians being women. They also maintain a strong presence in technology and information technology, where they account for roughly 30% of participation, and in education, where they make up a large portion of teachers and university faculty members. Furthermore, the creative industries highlight their cultural influence, with hundreds of female directors and thousands of actresses actively shaping the country’s arts and cinema landscape.

(Q) How important are family values and cultural tradition in shaping the role of women in Iran?

(A) The family remains one of the primary pillars of Iranian society and plays a decisive role in shaping the social identity of women. Many women in Iran manage significant family responsibilities alongside their professional activities. Social expectations often emphasise a dual role: professional participation on one hand, and maintaining a central role within the family on the other.

This structure is widely accepted in the general culture and influences career choices, work patterns, and the social identity of women.

(Q) How does Iran balance tradition, religion and modernisation regarding women’s role?

(A) The role of women in Iran is shaped by the concept of “evolution and synergy” between religion and modern life, rather than a confrontation between the two. Islamic teachings encourage both women and men to seek knowledge, social responsibility, and economic participation, while emphasising family stability, human dignity, and social ethics.

Within this framework, the governance system and legal principles are partly influenced by Islamic jurisprudence (Fiqh), which seeks to preserve moral and social values while enabling women’s presence in education, health, science, business, and public service. The goal is not to reject modernisation, but to guide it within an ethical and cultural framework, based on religion and national tradition.

Simultaneously, Iran has invested heavily in the education and professional development of women as part of the country’s modernisation path. The extensive participation of women in universities, medicine, science, entrepreneurship, and public management demonstrates that educational and professional progress can coexist with Islamic values and social norms.

From this viewpoint, modernisation in Iran is defined as a process compatible with cultural and religious identity; a model in which women can achieve both scientific and professional success while maintaining respected roles in the family and society.

(Q) Iranian women have played a major role in global cinema, literature, and the arts. How important is culture in empowering women?

Ambassador of Iran in Sri Lanka Alireza Delkhosh reflecting on the enduring diplomatic, cultural and economic ties between Iran and Sri Lanka

(A) Culture is one of the most significant and visible fields of women’s participation in Iran. Women in Iran are actively engaged in cinema as a major cultural sector as well as in visual arts. Since the 1980s, Iranian women filmmakers have made a significant and steadily growing contribution to national cinema, directing a substantial number of feature films and documentaries. While precise aggregated statistics vary across sources, Iranian cinema has consistently seen an increasing presence of women directors over the past four decades, many of whom have gained recognition at international film festivals.

Based on cinema magazine reports, each year, more than 20 new Iranian filmmakers debut, many of them women.

In the last two decades, Iran has had a higher proportion of women film directors than many Western countries. Iranian women artists frequently participate in the Venice Biennale, Cannes side programmes, and global galleries. Notable figures include internationally recognised directors, such as Samira Makhmalbaf, Narges Abyar, Rakhshan Bani-Etemad, Tahmineh Milani and many others.

This makes cinema one of the strongest global visibility platforms for Iranian women.

Also, Iran has a long literary tradition with significant female contribution. Over centuries, women, such as Forough Farrokhzad, Simin Daneshvar, and Parvin E’tesami, have become central figures in modern Persian literature. Women today continue to play a major role in publishing, translation, and contemporary writing.

Literature remains a key space where women achieve intellectual influence and public recognition.

Besides these, women in Iran play an active role in music, as performers, composers, and educators, particularly in classical, traditional, and ensemble-based music. Iranian women perfectly adapted themselves to the rules and regulations and continue to contribute significantly to the country’s cultural and musical landscape through formal artistic channels.

In Iran, culture acts as a parallel empowerment pathway for women. Along with women political and economic participation, cultural sectors—especially cinema, literature, and visual arts—have enabled Iranian women to achieve high international visibility and intellectual influence disproportionate to their formal political representation.

(Q) What impact have social networks had on young Iranian women and their aspirations?

(A) Social media has significantly expanded opportunities for people around the world, including women in Iran. Increased access to global education and professional networks, the growth of women-led digital entrepreneurship, and new platforms for cultural expression and advocacy are among these opportunities. At the same time, it operates within a regulated environment. However, regulation should not be equated with limitation. The experience of more than four decades of wide-ranging sanctions across economic, technological, and scientific sectors shows that working within constraints can foster resilience, creativity, and innovation rather than hinder progress. Iranian women’s participation in socio-economic and civic initiatives has expanded significantly through social media. Digital platforms have enabled women to build professional networks, launch online businesses, access global education, and engage in public dialogue. Social media has also created new spaces for cultural production, knowledge-sharing, community organising, and advocacy.

As a result, online platforms have become an important complementary channel for women’s visibility, entrepreneurship, and public engagement alongside traditional institutions.

(Q) How can cultural exchange between Iranian and Sri Lankan women strengthen relations between the two countries?

(A) I strongly believe that cooperation between women of our two countries holds great potential for strengthening bilateral relations and deepening people-to-people connections. Our societies share strong values centred on family, education, community service, and cultural heritage, which naturally provide a solid foundation for collaboration. Although large-scale women-focused initiatives are still developing, this presents a valuable opportunity for our Embassy and Cultural Centre to actively facilitate structured and meaningful exchanges.

We are working to support practical initiatives, such as academic partnerships between universities, joint cultural and artistic programmes, networking opportunities for women entrepreneurs, and cooperation among healthcare and social development professionals. Through workshops, exhibitions, scholarships, and digital platforms, we can connect young women leaders, researchers, artists, and business owners from both countries. These efforts will gradually build a sustainable bridge of friendship, mutual understanding, and cooperation driven by women’s contributions to education, culture, business, and public service.

(Q) Are there similarities between Iranian and Sri Lankan women?

(A) Yes, there are significant similarities between Iranian and Sri Lankan women, particularly in the areas of education and social roles, although differences also exist in the level of economic participation. In both countries, women have increasingly become key pillars of national development, especially in education, healthcare, and cultural sectors. In Iran, female literacy has risen dramatically over recent decades to over 90%, compared to less than 30% before 1979, and today women constitute more than half of university students, particularly in science and medical fields. In Sri Lanka, female literacy is also very high, and women consistently make up a large proportion of university students. This indicates that both countries have achieved a degree of gender parity in education, which is notable compared to many developing regions.

In both countries, women show a similar pattern of strong involvement in key sectors such as education, healthcare, and public services, reflecting their deep integration into social service fields even when overall economic participation differs.

At the social and cultural level, there are also important similarities. In both Iran and Sri Lanka, women play a central role in family structures, where responsibilities such as childcare, household management, and the upbringing of future generations remain important cultural roles. At the same time, women in both countries are increasingly involved in entrepreneurship and small businesses, particularly in urban areas. Overall, Iranian and Sri Lankan women share strong similarities in education and social participation, while the main difference lies in the level and structure of their participation in the formal labor market and economy.

In both countries, the status of women as the cornerstone of the family plays an irreplaceable role. A woman is, above all other titles, a mother, and in the cultures of both Iran and Sri Lanka, the role of the mother is incomparable to any other role.

(Q) How would you describe the women’s participation in Iran’s political system? What role do women currently hold in the Iranian govt. and Parliament?

(A) Women in Iran participate across several formal institutions, including the Islamic Consultative Assembly (Parliament), advisory councils, ministries, and various administrative and executive bodies. It reflects a structural presence of women within the governance system.

Beyond Parliament, women’s participation is more visible in the executive and administrative branches of government. Women serve as deputy ministers, presidential advisors, and provincial administrators. They are also present within the judicial and legal system in advisory and administrative judicial roles. At the local level, women have a stronger presence in city councils and municipal governance compared to national institutions. In addition, women hold significant roles in sectors such as health, education, and social policy, particularly in senior managerial and expert positions within the civil service, indicating a gradual expansion of their administrative influence.

Overall, women’s political participation in Iran can be described as a combination of relatively broad involvement in administrative and professional structures. Historically, women have held high-ranking positions such as ministerial and ambassadorial posts in certain periods of the Islamic Republic.

(Q) Has women’s political representation, in Iran, increased in recent years?

(A) Iran’s experience in this field reflects a gradual, evolutionary institutional process rather than abrupt changes. In recent years, women’s participation in governance structures has become increasingly visible, particularly within administrative and professional spheres.

The progress of Iranian women in the executive and administrative domains has been more tangible; they now serve in roles such as vice presidents, deputy ministers, presidential policy advisors, and senior managers in ministries like Health, Education, and Science. Furthermore, their representation in local councils and municipal management shows greater growth compared to the national level.

These sectors have witnessed a steady expansion in both the scope and level of female responsibility. Consequently, the overall trajectory of this movement can be described as a continuous advancement through which women’s leadership, especially in specialised, advisory, and managerial roles, is successfully integrated into the state system.

(Q) What challenges do women face when entering politics in Iran?

(A) In addition to Parliament, women are also present within the government structure; however, this presence is visible not only at administrative, advisory, and specialised levels but also at high-ranking political echelons. For instance, female deputy ministers and senior advisors operate in several ministries, and women hold high-level administrative positions and technical occupations, while also maintaining a presence at the cabinet level and in top political offices.

On the other hand, within the realm of political parties and networks, party leadership remains predominantly male-dominated. Consequently, women typically enter the political arena through professional, academic, or specialized pathways rather than party hierarchies. Overall, the pattern of women’s political participation in Iran can be characterised as a model of ‘gradual evolution,’ wherein their presence has been progressively expanding.

By Zanita Careem