Iranian universities ban women from 77 critical fields of studyAugust 22, 2012 - 11:58 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - 36 Iranian universities have banned women from 77 critical fields of study including engineering, education, and counseling. Commenting on the decision, spokesperson for the U.S. Department of State, Ms. Victoria Nuland said that it “represents a significant regression for women in Iran, who have outnumbered men in universities for over a decade, and will further restrict the ability of Iranian women to find employment.” “A number of university deans have justified their actions by stating that certain courses have a “manly nature” and are not suitable for women, while Science Minister Kamran Daneshjoo has called the segregation effort a top priority to protect morality. These statements undermine the efforts of Iranian women to freely determine their futures and diminish the potential of the Iranian workforce,” she said. “We call upon Iranian authorities to protect women’s rights and to uphold Iran’s own laws and international obligations which guarantee non-discrimination in all areas of life, including access to education,” Nuland said. Top stories Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". The earthquake caused a temporary blackout, damaged many buildings and closed a number of rural roads. Partner news | The Power of One Dram to benefit Road of Life charity The companies inform that the May beneficiary of The Power of One Dram is the “Road of Life” charitable organization. Ucom General Director gives lecture at French University in Armenia The General Director of Ucom Ralph Yirikian delivered a lecture at the French University of Armenia. Kazakhstan welcomes Yerevan, Baku’s agreement to meet in Almaty Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has welcomed the agreement of Baku and Yerevan to hold negotiations in Almaty. Armenia offers to temporarily host, preserve Gaza manuscripts The Armenian Foreign Minister has said Yerevan is ready to help preserve manuscripts from the conflict zone in Gaza. |