New Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi has named his first female member of government, appointing arch-conservative academic Ensiyeh Khazali to take over the vice presidency for women and family affairs, according to the ISNA news agency on Wednesday.
Khazali is the daughter of cleric Abolghasem Khazali. She has served as a dean at the women's-only Alzahra University in Tehran and lectured at several universities. She is also the author of various Islamic books and has a doctorate in Arabic language and literature.
Women do not have the same rights as men in Iran. Although many laws have been revised in favour of women in recent years, they still face discrimination in legal matters such as divorce, child custody and inheritance. Since the Islamic Revolution in 1979, they have been required to wear headscarves and long coats to cover their hair and body, though many Iranian women flout this, especially in cities.
The Iranian presidency has more than 10 vice presidents, including the first vice president and the head of the Atomic Energy Organization. Vice presidents, unlike ministers, do not need parliamentary approval.
