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TEHRAN –Zahra Behrouz-Azar, the vice president for women and family affairs, paid a visit to Agounk Christian charity in Tehran on Saturday to become familiar with activities of the center toward empowering women and children. Lauding the efforts of the center, the official stressed the significance of supporting charity centers to help them provide equal opportunities for individuals with specific disabilities to empower them, Mehr news agency quoted Behrouz-Azar as saying. “The center not only supports disabled children and teenagers but also their families.
It fosters the social development of women and families and enhances social involvement and responsibilities through promoting volunteer activities,” she noted. The center also focuses on boosting altruism and encouraging long-term donations. Established in 1988, the center aims to support children and adults with physical and mental disabilities by utilizing specific educational and rehabilitation programs.
Agounk charity provides a variety of services including art and handicraft workshops, like painting on fabrics, embroidery, woodcraft, leather work, and making jewelry for disabled individuals. Their hand-made products are usually featured in an exhibition which is held annually and the earned income is used in the center. The center also provides rehabilitation services such as physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, and psychological counseling to improve the physical and mental abilities of disabled people.
****Women’s economic, social empowerment Addressing the Asia-Pacific Ministerial Conference, held in Bangkok, Thailand, from November 19 to 21, Behrouz-Azar stated that the current administration focuses on empowering women in social and economic areas, as well as improving their access to social services and facilities through implementing certain national programs. “Iran has always focused on programs that empower women, particularly those who are heads of household, economically and socially. Actions taken by the country have always aimed to promote women’s status by observing the principles of the constitution and Islamic teachings,” Mehr news agency quoted Behrouz-Azar as saying.
Referring to Iran’s remarkable achievements in education, health, science, technology, and entrepreneurship, she underscored the prominent role of Iranian women in these fields. The official further said the seventh National Development Plan has stressed the need to overcome barriers to women’s professional development. Accordingly, the current administration has put supporting women’s entrepreneurship and home business growth on the agenda despite unfair sanctions.
Addressing a roundtable focusing on ‘Advancing women’s economic empowerment through employment, decent work, social protection, and entrepreneurship’, Fakhr al-Sadat Fatemi, an advisor to the deputy vice president for women and family affairs, for her part proposed three ways to advance women’s empowerment in different fields, these ways include training, empowering, acquiring skills, and developing opportunities for women’s participation, as well as providing legal and executive support, Mehr news agency reported. MT/MG.
