THE GUARDIAN: Iranian president's move could result in country's first female ministers for more than 30 years
The Iranian president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, said today he would nominate three women to join his new cabinet.
The nominations could lead to the appointment of the first female ministers in Iran for more than 30 years.
They appear to be an attempt by Ahmadinejad to win the support of Iranian women as he fends off opposition claims that his re-election to the presidency in June was fraudulent.
However, the appointments seem unlikely to appease reformists because two of the three women are fellow hardliners.
Speaking on state television, Ahmadinejad said he would nominate Marzieh Vahid Dastgerdi, a 50-year-old gynaecologist, as health minister and Fatemeh Ajorlu, a 43-year-old MP, as minister of welfare and social security.
He did not name the third woman, but said he would nominate at least one more female minister to his cabinet. >>> Associated Press | Sunday, August 16, 2009
