Gender discrimination will not be accepted: Iran Prez

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has advocated for equal rights for men and women in his speech at the national Forum on Women Shaping Economy and Culture in Iran.

At his parlance marking Women's Day, Rouhani criticised those who considered the societal presence of women as a threat and said that Iran still had a long way to go to ensure gender equality.

He further added that the country would not accept any form of sexual discrimination.

However, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the highest authority in Iran, who said that gender equality was one of the biggest mistakes of the Western thought, did not welcome his words.

Khamenei further added that he did not oppose women's employment, but that it should not conflict with 'the main issue', which was women's role in the family environment and household.

According to the BBC, Amnesty International, a London-based human rights group said in its 2013 report that women in Iran faced discrimination in law and practice in relation to marriage and divorce, inheritance, child custody, nationality and international travel.

In 2012, several Iranian universities introduced rules banning female students from nearly 80-degree courses, drawing criticism from campaigners, it revealed.