The West Doesn't Want You to See This Photo From Iran

And some mind-blowing facts… and the obsession with hijab…

Take a look at the photo below, which has been circulating on X for a couple of days.

It captures a meeting between an Iranian and a Pakistani delegation.

This picture is self-explanatory.

Iranian delegation: all women; Pakistani delegation: all men.

And this Iranian delegation is not composed merely of some ordinary government officers or diplomats.

It is led by a minister — a woman in a leadership role. In the centre is Farzaneh Sadegh, the Minister of Roads and Urban Development.

She visited Pakistan earlier this month with the vision to ease the burden on her fellow Iranians, who are left with very limited international trade options.

To get the job done, she discussed her country's inclusion in China's Silk Road initiative. She also pushed for increased trade by sea and the formation of a regional train linking Pakistan, Iran, and Turkey.

If her visit pays off, she'll be nothing less than a hero for her people. After all, she'll bring a lifeline for the millions of Iranians who are crippled by years of harsh sanctions.

Having said that…

Do you think I'm unnecessarily glorifying this Iranian woman?

If yes, you might be right.

But there's a huge problem (and some shocking findings) I want to highlight through her example.

Had there been any woman in a leading position from a poor but pro-West nation, I would've found hundreds of articles and even documentaries glorifying her.

But the moment I try to find articles about the achievements of Iranian women living under the current regime and wearing hijab, to my utter surprise, I have to dig deep into research papers and intergovernmental organizational reports instead of any newspaper or media outlet.

It's crazy!

I don't have to access research papers or reports to find the achievements of women from other countries! Media outlets are always enough! (Maybe Afghanistan could be another exception?)

And have a look at some unbelievable facts and figures I came across while studying these papers and reports. No newspaper reported them. Had they done so, the Iranian image would've certainly improved.

1. Speaking of women in leadership positions in Iran, Iranian women are now in the top 30 worldwide for entrepreneurship. Let that sink in — these 'oppressed' women are out-hustling nations with far more resources and freedoms. [1]
2. Women now make up more than 65% of university students in Iran. Imagine what they could achieve if the world focused half as much on their potential as it does on their headscarves. [2]
3. While the West debates Iranian women's 'oppression,' they've taken over hospitals. More than 50% of Iran's physicians are now women. So much backwardness, right? [3]
4. Nearly 70% of Iran's STEM students are women. It's likely the highest rate on the planet. But we must keep discussing their hijab, right?
5. Female literacy in Iran has skyrocketed from just 53% before 1979 to 95% today.

And even more surprisingly, Iran's Islamic regime isn't that much evil. With all its harsh laws, it still cares for women. Have a look:

1. Women held just 3.3% of leadership roles in 1976. Today, that number has jumped to 17%.
2. The average life expectancy of Iranian women has grown a lot since 1979. It was 56 years back then. Now it stands at 72.
3. In 1988, 91 in 100,000 women died during childbirth. Now, this rate is 18 to 100,000.
4. Today, every one in four Iranian industrial workers is a woman. And they dominate the service sector, making up half of all employees.
5. Back in 1979, 33% of Iranian girls sat outside classroom doors. Now, 97% claim their right to learn.

And many more… (You can keep reading these achievements by clicking the links embedded above or the research papers shared below this article.)

You'll not see any glorification of these Iranian women who are still making progress despite wearing their hijab. You'll only see the glorification of the Iranian women who throw off their hijab.

The Western media is obsessed.

Hijab. Hijab. Hijab. And some more hijab.

These hardworking, trailblazing women are ignored, but the university student who stripped to her underwear last year, allegedly to protest against the strict dress code, gets a lot of focus.

It's ironic! And pathetic!

Do you also think that this hijab thing is the root cause of all evils against Iranian women? If yes, let me tell you something…

1. Hijab doesn't hinder ambition. Iranian women are proving every day that progress isn't about what's on your head — it's about what's in it.
2. Even with relaxed enforcement, most Iranian women would likely keep wearing it, just as many do voluntarily across the Muslim world.

And if someone really cares for the freedom and welfare of Iranian women, they should be focusing far beyond the hijab issue.

Any strict law that limits individual freedom is indeed problematic. But focusing solely on strict laws while ignoring other basic needs is even more problematic.

Research Papers:

[1] A Qualitative Approach to the Success of Iranian Women Entrepreneurs by Alireza Rajabipoor Meybodi.

[2] Iranian Women Entrepreneurs: Good, Bad, Ugly by Zahra Mina Fam

[3] Health Care and Medical Education to Promote Women's Health in Iran: Four Decades of Efforts, Challenges, and Recommendations by Shima Tabatabai