Zahra Shojaei is an Iranian politician. A major advocate of women's rights in Iran, she was the advisor on women's affairs under President Khatami, and as such a member of his cabinet from 1997-2005.

Center for Women's Participation

In 1997, Khatami created the Center for Women's Participation, which then became the main institution responsible for handling women's affairs in the country, affiliated with the presidency. When Ahmadinejad took the presidency in 2005, he renamed it

Center for Women and Family Affairs Vice Presidency for Women and Family Affairs is a cabinet-level position in Iran, headed by one of the vice presidents. History Before the Iranian Revolution in 1979, only a woman served in a similar capacity. Mahnaz Afkhami assumed office as th ...

(Markaz-e Omor-e Zanan va Khanevadeh Riasat-e Jomhuri).

Appointment to Iranian Cabinet

President Khatami appointed Zahra Shojaei as his advisor on women's affairs (a position formerly held by

Shahla Habibi Shahla Habibi (1958—6 September 2017) was Iran's Presidential Advisor on Women's Affairs from 1991 to 1997. She was former member of central council of Islamic Coalition Party. Career Presidential advisor In 28 December 1991, President Rafsanjan ...

) and the head of the Center for Women's Participation. This appointment made her a member of the Iranian Presidential Cabinet. Zahra Shojaei, along with

Masoumeh Ebtekar Masoumeh Ebtekar ( fa, معصومه ابتکار; born 21 September 1960) was the former Vice President of Iran for Women and Family Affairs, from August 9, 2017, to September 1, 2021. She previously headed Department of Environment from 1997 t ...

, participated in the first cabinet since the

Islamic Revolution The Iranian Revolution ( fa, انقلاب ایران, Enqelâb-e Irân, ), also known as the Islamic Revolution ( fa, انقلاب اسلامی, Enqelâb-e Eslâmī), was a series of events that culminated in the overthrow of the Pahlavi dyna ...

to include women.

Transition

With the election of President

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad Mahmoud Ahmadinejad ( fa, محمود احمدی‌نژاد, Mahmūd Ahmadīnežād ), born Mahmoud Sabbaghian ( fa, محمود صباغیان, Mahmoud Sabbāghyān, 28 October 1956),

2005,

Nasrin Soltankhah Nasrin Soltankhah ( fa, نسرین سلطان‌خواه) is an Iranian politician who was a Vice President under Mahmoud Ahmadinejad from 2009 to 2013. Education Soltankhan received a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics (1976), a Master of Sci ...

was appointed to Shojaei's post. The center was renamed

, as opposed to Center for Women's Participation as it was called under Khatami. Participation was no longer a policy emphasis.

External links

The Position of Women in Iran: Past Achievements and Future Prospects
{{DEFAULTSORT:Shojaei, Zahra Presidential advisers of Iran Iranian women's rights activists Living people Islamic Iran Participation Front politicians 21st-century Iranian women politicians 21st-century Iranian politicians Secretaries-General of political parties in Iran 1956 births