Office of Women's Affairs (OWA)

Presidency

Introduction

Ms. Shahla Habib is the Director of this Office who was appointed by H.E. the President as an Advisor and Director of OWA on 1-12-90.

In his appointment letter, His Excelleny stated:

According to your background and experience, you are appointed as an Advisor to the President in Women's Affairs and as the Directior of OWA. It is expected that the Islamic society especially large numbers of our devoted and revolutionary-minded women will enjoy the fruits of your efforts and cooperation in elevating women's personality and making the way smooth towards the attainment of the true status of Muslim women”.

OWA has three deputy and two representative offices and two units in its administrative field, which are as follows:

• Deputy Office for Research & Planning
• Deputy Office for Domestic Relations
• Deputy Office for International Relations
• Representative Office of the Judiciary in OWA
• Representative Office of OWA in Islamic Consultative Council
• Unit for Consideration of Complaints & Problems
• Consultants Unit

Deputy Office for Research & planning performs its duties in fields of statistics, information and research & planning.

The important activities of this department are as follows:

• Presentation of ideas for reform and planning for socio-cultural development of the country and their harmonization with the implementation of effective plans and projects for women.
• Optimum use of researchers and the need to draw their attention to women's problems in the field of applied research.
• Introduction of lady researchers, planners, and clear-sighted women and compilation of information and statistical reports regarding the socio-economic and cultural status of women in Iran and other countries for the establishment of a data bank.

Deputy Office for Domestic Relations:
The goals of this department follow the establishment of regular and mutual relations with different classes of women throughout the country. The following measures are to be taken by this department: Establishing regular and mutual relations between women and officials of the country's administrative judicial and legal departments for exchanging information, identifying and solving the problems and promoting the status of women.

• Establishing relations with the mosques.
• Conducting the study on women's status in domestic, legal, scientific educational affairs and in the fields of arts, employment and health.
• Establishing the relations with provinces in the sphere of creation of OWA's branches and providing identification services in provinces, rural and urban areas in order to identify the women's status.
• Identifying the existing potentials of provinces in order to extend the required centers in different fields.
• Conducting studies on women's role in the media.
• Issuing statements on different occasions.

Deputy Office for International Relations:
This office follows its activities in 3 sections: Muslim countries, non-Muslim countries and international communication. The following measures are to be taken according to its action plans.

• Identification of Word's virtous and steady women.
• Establishment of permanent and mutual relations with Muslim women in order to with stand international despotism by the mobilization of efforts.
• Establishment of links with Muslim and non-Muslim countries in different socio-cultural fields.
• Identification of organs and associations and educational scientific, cultural and artistic institutions as well as the establishment of relations with them in order to exchange experience and knowledge.
• Survey and identification of women's status in different countries and presentation of patterns of women's role in the Islamic system.
• Identification of women's status in Muslim and non Muslim countries.
• Identification of women's international associations for the presentation of the characteristics of Iranian Muslim women to the world.

Dispatchment of delegations and invitations to national and international associations in order to exchange experience and knowledge.

Representative Office of Judiciary in OWA:
This office is responsible for solving the legal problems of women. This office considers complaints and claims in legal affairs.

Representative Office of OWA in Islamic Consultative Assembly:
This office has established relations with the esteemed members of the Assembly in order to exchange information for the speedy codification of relevant laws so that women can enjoy the fruits of these efforts in the elimination of legal difficulties.

The Unit for Consideration of Complaints and Problems:
This unit is responsible for consideration of complaints in the fields of family, education, employment and health care for women on a long term basis.

These are the functions of OWA in the Presidential Office. This Office which was established in January 1991 endeavors to fulfill its objectives in order to provide its best service for women.