Stating that holding meetings like the Congress for the Women of Influence can open up ways for cooperation between nations, the President said, "I hope that the women present at this meeting can learn from the valuable experiences that the Islamic Republic of Iran has gained in the field of women's rights and attention to women after the Islamic Revolution".
Speaking at the First International Congress for the Women of Influence on Thursday evening, Ayatollah Dr Seyyed Ebrahim Raisi expressed satisfaction that the Islamic Republic of Iran has hosted influential women from different countries, and said, "I hope that the women present at this meeting will be able to think together to take a step towards realising the rights of women in the world".
The President also expressed hope that the women present in this meeting can use the valuable experiences that the Islamic Republic of Iran has gained in the field of women's rights and attention to women in the society and establish a fruitful partnership and cooperation in this meeting.
Stating that this meeting and talks can open ways for cooperation between countries and nations, Dr Raisi added, "We have no doubt that men and women are different based on creation, but there is no difference between men and women based on humanity".
Referring to the role played by women side by side with men throughout history, the President said, "When we review history, we see the effective presence of Hajar next to Abraham (PBUH), Asiya next to Moses (PBUH), Saint Mary next to Jesus Christ (PBUH), Khadijah next to Muhammad Mustafa (PBUH), Fatima as a role model of women next to her father, wife and children and the great lady whose grave you visited in Qom today next to her brother".
Saying that we do not see any important historical event in which women did not play an important role, Ayatollah Raisi clarified, "Women should not be marginalised or isolated in societies. The reactionary view of women and the instrumental view of Western powers and politicians towards women are both doomed to failure and rejected".
He added, "The correct definition of a woman is that both men and women are the same human being and there are even women who influence men as well".
The President further attributed the resistance of the Palestinian nation against the occupation of the Zionist Regime to the influential role of Palestinian women and said, "The women who were either martyred or injured in the path of their nation's resistance, or who enlightened against cruelty and crime with their words have played a central and influential role in the history of this nation".
Dr Raisi said, "From the beginning, we in the Islamic Republic of Iran have tried hard to defend this right in international forums and to increase the participation and impact of women in various fields at home".
"Fortunately, today in our country, more than 30% of university professors, more than 34% of people active in the field of medicine and therapy, and almost 60% of the capacity of scientific and academic centres are related to Iranian women and girls, as well as 30% of management positions is available to influential Iranian women," he added.
Ayatollah Raisi stated that today in western countries, despite claims, women's rights are violated in many cases, and added, "According to the statistics published in the American and English media, many women are killed by the police of these countries every year for the crime of demanding their rights".
The President added, "The reason why today these countries are angry at the Islamic Republic of Iran is because it presents a new way of life by preserving the principles and values of the women of the society who have been able to reach high cultural, political, social and sports peaks".
While expressing his regret for the spread of the ugly phenomenon of homosexuality under the title of civilisational characteristic, Ayatollah Raisi stated, "Such views cause the destruction and decline of humanity, and the Islamic Republic, while condemning these decadent phenomena, believes in the role of women in societies and has a lot to say in this regard".
The President described the title of this congress very suitable and said, "We hope that the results of this congress under the title of influential women can have useful and positive results for the women of neighbouring countries, the region and the world".
Dr Raisi further said, "Today, the message of the Islamic Republic of Iran to all countries is the message of peace, friendship, peaceful life and security for all citizens. We don't like war for any nation because we ourselves became victims of an imposed and unwanted war. We are not interested in even a single part of the soil of any country, but we have been a supporter of the territorial integrity of all countries and a friend of our neighbours in difficult times".
The President further considered the self-sacrifice of Martyr General Haj Qasem Soleimani in defending the people of Iraq and Syria and the entire region as a result of this principled and humane policy of the Islamic Republic of Iran and said, "We believe that no one should be oppressed. We like justice for everyone and we want peace and security for all nations".
Ayatollah Raisi stated that today with beautiful slogans in the freedom and defending women's rights, the most atrocities are committed against this group, and added, "The Islamic Republic of Iran likes and adheres to freedom for all nations, all men and all women".
The President continued, "We believe that oppression of the Palestinian people is oppression of humanity, and trampling on human rights anywhere in the world is condemned in our view".
Referring to the role of the Islamic Republic in defending rights, justice, and the rights of women and men, Dr Raisi said, "attention to the rights of citizens was emphasised from the beginning by Imam Khomeini (RA), the Supreme Leader of the Revolution, and the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Iran, and we also We are obliged to protect and protect these rights".
In the end, the President emphasised, "I hope that in this meeting, intellectuals, scientists and experts on the issue of women and family, by exchanging their opinions and views, will lead to the improvement of the effectiveness of women in different fields and in different societies, and the Islamic Republic of Iran is also ready to share its experiences. Share in this context".
Ayatollah Raisi added, "I hope that your trip to Iran will be memorable for you and that you will bring valuable experiences from this meeting to your countries".