Hawzah News Agency- Speaking in Qom during a meeting with officials from the Central Headquarters for “Women’s Status and Mother’s Day Commemoration Week,” Ayatollah Arafi underlined the decisive role played by women throughout the revolutionary movement led by Imam Khomeini. He noted that women’s widespread participation, particularly during the nationwide demonstrations that culminated in the victory of the Islamic Revolution, remains a defining example of their influence on the country’s modern history.
The senior cleric highlighted that the thousand-year-old Qom Seminary has undergone significant transformation over the past century, with one of its most important developments being the establishment and expansion of the Women’s Seminary system. He emphasized that while Islam’s history features many prominent women scholars and figures—such as Hazrat Fatemeh (PBUH), Khadijah al-Kubra (PBUH), and Hazrat Zaynab (PBUH)—the post-Revolution era has created new opportunities for women’s institutional and scholarly growth.
Ayatollah Arafi stressed that Iranian women have achieved major advances in science, academia, political participation, cultural activities, and new technologies, stating that these accomplishments are “unparalleled at any point in history.”
He further noted that women now outperform men in several academic disciplines, both in terms of participation and quality of work, describing this as a direct result of the Islamic Republic’s support for women’s education and societal roles.
The seminaries’ director also pointed to the establishment of new academic programs related to family studies, the publication of specialized women’s journals, and the growth of women’s student and seminary organizations as examples of institutional progress achieved after the Revolution.
Addressing the newly formed headquarters for “Women’s Week and Mother’s Day,” Ayatollah Arafi said such initiatives should not be limited to a single week but should continue throughout the year with coordinated programs that serve women and girls across Iranian society.
He also called for broader promotion of Martyr Morteza Motahhari’s influential work The System of Women’s Rights in Islam, noting that Motahhari described women as a source of inspiration and strength throughout history. Reviving such intellectual works, he said, is essential to countering hostile narratives targeting Iranian women.
Earlier in the session, Mrs. Reyhaneh Salami, head of the central headquarters for “Women’s Empowerment Week and Mother’s Day,” delivered a report on the body’s ongoing activities and objectives.
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