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First Woman Mayor in Shiraz District

First Woman Mayor in Shiraz District
First Woman Mayor in Shiraz District

The first woman district mayor in Shiraz, capital of Fars Province, was appointed recently by the Mayor of Metropolitan Shiraz, Alireza Pakfetrat.

Speaking at the inauguration of Shila Jahanjah as mayor of District 6, Pakfetrat said women comprise a large part of the municipality staff, many of whom hold management positions, but no woman has so far held a mayoral post.

Stressing that meritocracy is a priority in the selection of top municipal authorities, he said Jahanjah’s successful management experience in various civic sectors saw her elevation to the  post, the Persian Daily ‘Sharq’ reported.

She has so far directed four major road bridge projects in the southern city, all of which have been successfully carried out without delays and met the deadlines, said Pakfetrat. “Undertaking such projects is indeed a challenging task.”

Projects of this kind require consultation with councilors and contractors and dealing with workers and the public which Jahanjah coped efficiently.

The selection of a woman mayor will encourage other staff that accountability in work will be rewarded and assure women employees that they too can reach top positions in their field.

“Nearly 50% of Shiraz Municipality’s clientele are women and the appointment is expected to help facilitate the process of services to women,” he said.

Shiraz has 10 districts, each of which is headed by a mayor who report to Pakfetrat.

 Women Mayors Increase

Nearly 20 years after a woman became the mayor of Tehran’s Municipal District 7, a first in Iran, more women are being appointed to the post in other cities.

Zahra Sadr Azam Nouri was the first woman mayor appointed in 1996.

More recently, in 2013, Maryam Pakzad became Mayor of Loulman in Gilan Province.

A few days later, another woman, 26-year-old Samiah Baluch Zehi, was elected mayor of Kalat city, in Sarbaz County, Sistan-Baluchistan Province.

In 2004, in the central city of Saveh, Maryam Roustayi Gerayloo held the mayoral post until 2006. Elaheh Mavalizadeh, a lecturer in the Department of Economic and Social Sciences in Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz and former city council member was appointed mayor of Ahvaz Municipal District 2 in 2008.

Mashhad’s Municipal District 6 also had a woman mayor. Sharareh Madanian was appointed in 2006. Shokoufeh Shahabipour occupied the mayor’s seat when she was only 23 and a student of Architecture in Bandar Abbas Khalij-e-Fars University.

 

Financialtribune.com