‘Women Are Delicate Flowers, Not Housemaids’: Khamenei Despite Shrinking Women’s Rights In Iran – News18

Last Updated:December 19, 2024, 09:14 IST

Khamenei’s remarks came amid several restrictions on women, including the country’s strict hijab rule that has sparked widespread protests.

Irony knows no limits! Despite a growing number of restrictions on women in Iran, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei made a surprising statement, saying that women were “delicate flowers” and not housemaids.

Several women have taken to the streets in Iran, particularly after the death of Mahsa Amini, 22, in 2022 after she was arrested for defying the strict hijab laws. Several activists and human rights groups have said there is evidence of torture, violence and forced medication for women who oppose the strict laws in Iran.

In a statement, Khamenei said, “A woman is a delicate flower and not a housemaid.” A woman should be treated like a flower in the home. A flower needs to be cared for. Its freshness & sweet scent should be benefited from and used to perfume the air.”

However, Khamenei’s comparison of a women to a flower stood in sharp contrast to the numerous restrictions women face in Iran. In separate tweets, the 85-year-old Supreme Leader defined gender roles in the society, which “do not imply superiority”.

“Women and men have different roles in the family. For example, the man is responsible for the family’s expenses, while the woman is responsible for childbearing. This doesn’t imply superiority. They’re different merits, and the rights of men & women aren’t calculated based on these,” he said.

He also said men and women are equal in their pursuit of the good and pure life and neither is superior to the other. They both possess infinite potential in terms of their intellectual and spiritual capabilities, he said.