Tehran, 23 July 2020

UNFPA Iran held a webinar jointly with the Ministry of Cooperatives, Labor and Social Welfare to celebrate World Population Day 2020.

To mark World Population Day in Iran, UNFPA and the Ministry of Cooperatives, Labor and Social Welfare jointly held a webinar on Wednesday 22 July, 2020 to raise awareness about the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on female heads of households. The webinar aimed to build partnerships to help boost the resilience of female heads of households, a vulnerable population group that faces greater challenges in accessing health and reproductive health services, and a steady income and livelihood during the pandemic. 

The on-line event took place in the presence of high level authorities from the Ministry of Cooperatives, Labor and Social Welfare, UN heads of agencies, and the diplomatic corps.

Dr. Leila Joudane, UNFPA Representative in Iran moderated the panel, all the while emphasizing on the importance of uninterrupted sexual and reproductive health services, including prevention of violence against women, during the COVID-19 crisis. 

Government panelists, Dr. Ahmad Meidari-Deputy Minister of Social Welfare and Dr. Issa Mansouri Deputy Minister of Entrepreneurship presented their complementary views on a socio-economic approach, stressing the bridging between humanitarian and longer term development interventions, to address the need of the most vulnerable women.  In the same line, Ms. Maryam Mirmalek, Director General of the office of Support and Empowerment, informed participants about the first on-line dashboard developed by the ministry in order to monitor the socio-economic and health status of female heads of households on real time basis.

“The socio-economic recovery plan requires $50 million. $15 million have already been mobilized by UN agencies in Iran”, concluded Ms. Ugochi Daniels, UN Resident Coordinator in Iran, and one of the panelists. “UN agencies in Iran stay committed to complement government’s efforts to leave no one behind”.