Rohani appoints female vice-president

Iran’s President Hassan Rohani, who promised to give more backing to women in influential positions, has appointed Elham Aminzadeh, as his vice-president for legal affairs. In his appointment letter published on the president’s website, he hailed her, “scientific competence and judicial qualifications as well as legislative experience and moral merits”. He appointed former industry minister, Eshagh Jahangiri, as his first vice-president, a day after he took the oath of office. In his presidential campaign he pledged to create more jobs for women.  He criticised former president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on his conservative policing of women by force, ensuring women’s hair and bodily curves were covered. A former member of the parliament, Aminzadeh holds a doctorate in international law from the University of Glasgow, titled, “The United Nations and International Peace and Security: A Legal and Practical Analysis.”   She worked as an assistant president of law at the University of Tehran, specialising in the fields of international public law, energy law and human rights.  From 2004 to 2008, she served at the Majlis, lower house of the Iranian parliament, as the deputy head of the national security and foreign policy committee.