The Women’s Socio-Cultural Council is an institute established for major policy-making and planning in women’s cultural and social issues and to create the coordination necessary in these affairs. It began its activities in the month of Tir 1366 (June 1988) based on its ratification at the 115th session of the Supreme Council of the Cultural Revolution (SCCR) dated the 19th of Khordad 1366-June 8, 1988.

    At the present time, the council consists of 23 members appointed by the higher authorities of ministries and organizations concerned with women’s affairs and by the mandate issued by the chairperson of the SCCR.They include:

1.One member of the SCCR or its representative.
2.Two experts, one each, in Islamic science and education, and scientific-cultural issues selected by the SCCR.
3.The presidential representative.
4.Two female parliament members introduced by the speaker of the Islamic Consultative Assembly.
5.The judiciary representative introduced by the head of the judiciary.
6.Two ladies, one from the Qum Seminary recommended by Jame-tul-Zahra Theological Seminary and the other one introduced by the Organization for Islamic Propagation.
7.One female expert on women’s socio-cultural issues introduced by each of the following ministries: Interior, Culture and Islamic Guidance, Culture, Technology and Research, Education, Labor and Social Affairs, Foreign Affairs, and Health.
8.The representative of IRIB, Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting.
9.The representative of the Physical Education Division.
10.The representative of Islamic Azad University.
11.The representative of the Resistance Mobilization Corps.
12.The representative of the Management Center for Female Seminaries.
13.The representative of the Islamic Culture and Communications Organization.
14.The representative of the Supreme Leader’s Representation division in the universities.

    The most important approvals and proposals of the WSCC in the fields of policy-making revising and reforming rules and regulations and in developing cultural, executive and research plans, will first be discussed, commented, investigated and examined by the ten specialized committees of the WSCC, next they will be discussed and ratified by the WSCC.

Specialized committees

1.Planning and programming
2.Research
3.Education and Training
4.Family Law
5.Jurisprudence and legal sources
6.Public culture
7.Social affairs
8.Economics and employment
9.International affairs
10.Resistance mobilization and defensive affairs

1.To develop and propose the necessary policies in order to generate a favorable environment to   promote the growth of the personality of women and to expedite the recovery of human value and nobility, to provide women’s multilateral rights based on original Islamic criteria and develop accurate models and examples.

2.To develop and propose the necessary policies in order to identify the positive characteristics of local culture and confront its weaknesses, also to identify the sources and oppose the deteriorating manifestations of foreign cultures and moral decadence, and to eliminate regressive perceptions present in society under the guise of religion as well as oppression and discrimination imposed by the satanic regime on the female population.

3.To develop the necessary policies and programs and to coordinate programs proposed by executive organs in order to strengthen the sacred circle of the family to the maximum by facilitating marriage, safeguarding its purity and promoting family relations on the basis of Islamic rights and virtues, also to conduct specialized research and submit proposals to various executive organs pertaining to the above mentioned cases.

4.To develop necessary policies and programs and coordinate the programs proposed by the executive elements in order for women and girls to better utilize their leisure (through the proper use of sports, educational, recreational and artistic facilities and the mass media etc.) and to perform specialized studies and submit proposals to various executive elements to be included in their programs.

5.To develop plans in order to promote the level of general knowledge and literacy of women and determine the appropriate policies and methods for their education in schools and universities.

6.To study the experience of women’s participation in political, social, economic, cultural and artistic activities and examine the methods to eliminate the difficulties and obstacles that prevent the development of these activities.

7.To study and develop appropriate plans in order to eliminate the difficulties and address the issues of single, widowed and divorced women, assist them, and to examine women’s employment status.

8.To adopt policies in order to coordinate the activities of centers and organizations involved in women’s socio-cultural affairs and present plans and proposals to the SCCR as required.

9.To recommend research on women’s socio-cultural affairs to experts and centers and to sponsor Islamic theoreticians, thinkers and scientists who endeavor to clarify Islamic concepts and perceptions in the fields of the family and society, and to assist in coordination of research programs.

10.Continual study and evaluation of women’s socio-cultural status and development of annual reports.

11.Development of programs that enhance the development of cultural relations with women’s revolutionary movements and communities in other countries, especially the Islamic ones.

12.To offer comments or come to a decision on cases assigned to WSCC by SCCR.

13.To propose criteria concerning the activities of women’s centers related to culture and propagation and supervision of these activities.

The members of the Women’s Socio-Cultural Council  will elect the chairperson of the council from among themselves for a period of two years for whom the order will be ratified by the chairperson of the SCCR.  During the two previous periods, Mrs. Munireh Nowbakht, representative of Tehran for the last two terms of the Islamic Consultative Assembly has  presided over WSCC.

    The Women’s Information and Statistics Center was established as an important means of providing information in order to realize the objectives and functions of WSCC based on the approval  of  the  450^th session of the SCCR dated 7, 20 1378 (October 11, 1999).

     Using modern technology in order to have fast and easy access to the latest authentic  and correct information relevant to research studies is an essential factor for women’s policy-making and for program developing centers in the related executive structures.  By establishing this center, the WSCC as a general policy-making authority provides the necessary consolidation and coordination in the field of presenting information and statistics concerning women at both the national  and international levels through coordination and organizational communications with all centers in charge of collecting information and statistics concerning women in the related organizations.

     In addition to meeting the needs of WSCC and its various committees in research and information, this center assists in executing articles 8, f9 and 10 of the council in adopting policies which serve to coordinate the activities of the centers and organizations involved in women’s affairs, recommending research in important socio-cultural women’s issues to specialized centers, helping to coordinate and carry out research programs, and in continual study and assessment of women’s status and preparation of annual reports.

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1.To have concentrated access to collections of information and statistics concerning women by providing and disseminating  an information system at both the national and international levels.

2.To contribute to the continual study and assessment of women's socio-

     cultural status and prepare annual progress reports.

1.  Collection, organization and dissemination of information and research results concerning women in various socio-cultural fields at both the national and international levels.

2.  Comparative analysis of information and statistics and research findings from the divine religions’ viewpoint of women’s position and status, especially that of Islam, at both the national and international levels in order to direct research towards identification and introduction of a model for the Muslim woman.

3.  Analysis of information and research results concerning women’s issues in

order to be presented to the related centers.

4.  Continual evaluation of women’s status on the basis of women’s qualitative and quantitative socio-cultural criteria.

5.  Identification of obstacles and shortcomings, strong and weak points and the present status of women in various aspects to be submitted to the administrative policy-making and program developing centers.

6.  Proposal for courses of action with the purpose of bringing about coordination and organization among the information and research resources throughout the country.

7.  Determination of priorities and fundamental research needs in women’s issues to be presented to the related research centers of the universities.

8.  To create a major international information, resource and research center on women’s issues in order to provide services to both domestic and foreign researchers.

9.  Publication of a research bulletin for this center in order to present and report accomplishments and publish research findings concerning women’s issues, and their research and work.

10.  Recommendation for convention of experts and researchers on women’s issues and comparative analysis of research at both the national and international levels.