Iranian Election Today: Two Candidates' Plans for Women

[woo me with science]

Here are the views of the major candidates on women's issues, according to this website http://www.hillarysvillage.net/main-street/16898-women-s-rights-iranian-election-vitalvoices-6-9-09-ahmadinejad-vs-mir-hossein-mousavi-promote-mousavi.html:


Mousavi


* Mousavi pledged to disband the “Morality Police” that monitor women’s clothing in accordance with traditional Islamic dress.

* At a rally in Tehran, Mousavi told supporters, “We should reform laws that treat women unequally. We should empower women financially, women should be able to choose their professions according to their merits, and Iranian women should be able to reach the highest level of decision making bodies.”

* Mousavi vowed to support legal measures to end violence and discrimination against women.

* Mousavi has sounded support for the ratification of CEDAW.

* Mousavi promised to appoint female ministries and other high offices, if elected.




Ahmadinejad:


* In a BBC News interview, Mahbube Abbasqolizade, a member of the Iranian Women’s Centre NGO, said, “Mr. Ahmadinejad’s policies are that women should return to their homes and that their priority should be the family.”

* Ahmadinejad changed the name of the government organization the “Centre for Women’s Participation” to the “Centre for Women and Family Affairs”.

* Ahmadinejad proposed a new law that would reintroduce a man’s right to divorce his wife without informing her. In addition, men would no longer be required to pay alimony. In response, women’s groups have initiated the Million Signatures campaign against these measures.

* Ahmadinejad’s administration opposes the ratification of the UN protocol called CEDAW, the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women. This doctrine is essentially an international women’s Bill of Rights.

* Ahmadinejad implemented the Social Safety program, which monitors women’s clothing, requires the permission from a father or husband for a woman to attend school, and applies quotas limiting the number of women allowed to attend universities.


Please let Mousavi win, and let there be a transition without bloodshed.

[get the red out]

1. Republicans for Ahmadinejad!

Sounds logical after reading this. Kind of like the "Republicans for Voldemort" bumper stickers I used to see.