Speakers at an international conference in Tehran underscored that women have a central and decisive role in reshaping the concepts of just peace and global justice, noting that experiences from around the world affirm this contribution.
The international conference titled “Women, Intelligence and Global Justice” was held on Thursday, January 1, 2026, at the Al-Zahra Husseiniya of the Islamic Culture and Relations Organization.
According to IKNA, citing the Public Relations Department of the Islamic Culture and Communications Organization, Zeinab Rastegarpanah, Director General of ICRO’s Women and Family Affairs Abroad, was among the speakers at the event.
She thanked both local and international participants, with special appreciation for the families of martyrs, and said that governmental institutions in the Islamic Republic of Iran have been established to serve the people while supporting social activists, non-governmental organizations, and grassroots associations.
Referring to the role of ICRO as the headquarters of the Islamic Republic of Iran’s cultural diplomacy in the international arena, she added, “This conference is the result of the synergy of popular and governmental institutions, especially the Peace Association, which has been active in the field of peace and social dialogue for years.”
Rastegarpanah also said the concepts of peace and justice have changed in recent decades and women play a pivotal role in redefining these concepts and have the ability to create a new culture and civilization based on justice and human dignity in the midst of cultural and social devastation.
Referring to regional developments, she said a concrete example of this role-playing can be seen in the resistance and perseverance of Palestinian women, especially women in Gaza; a resistance that extends from Lebanon to Palestine, from Yemen to Iran, and demonstrates the power of women in transferring cultural and civilizational heritage to future generations.
Citing international statistics, she noted that according to official reports from international organizations, peace agreements and treaties in which women participated were between 20 and 35 percent more sustainable than other agreements, and this indicates the effective role of women in achieving a lasting and justice-based peace.
Emphasizing that global justice is one of the central concepts of the Islamic Revolution’s discourse, this official said: Peace that is not based on justice leads to surrender and lacks real value. Sustainable peace only makes sense in the shadow of justice and preserving human dignity.
Abdolreza Rashed, deputy director for ICRO’s International Relations Development, in his speech emphasized the importance of explaining the achievements of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
Rashed also stated, “Our main goal of this conference is to focus on global justice, and we hope that the blessings of this conference will be clear to the participants and that all attendees will be able to convey Iran’s message to the world as ambassadors of global justice.”
Kazem Gharibabadi, deputy director for human rights at the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, also addressed the event. He emphasized the importance of truly observing human rights.
After the Zionist regime’s crimes in the Gaza Strip, the double and discriminatory standards of human rights claimants became apparent, and none of the international mechanisms were able to stop these crimes, he stated.
He presented shocking statistics on the situation of Palestinian women and children, adding, “In the past two and a half years, more than 31,000 women and children have been martyred in the Gaza Strip, and more than 17,000 women have lost their children. Hundreds of thousands of pregnant women also did not have access to medical services, and many suffered disabilities and the consequences of the war.”
The official also pointed to the widespread violations of human rights in Western countries, saying, “In the United States, one-third of the world’s women are imprisoned, more than 1,800 women are killed by men annually, and more than 70 percent of women experience physical and sexual violence. This situation shows that those who claim human rights themselves commit the greatest cruelty against women and children.”
Gharibabadi also referred to the twelve-day war launched by the Israeli regime against Iran and stated, “The Islamic Republic of Iran emerged victorious in this war and was able to inflict fatal blows on the Zionist regime, while the Iranian nation stood united and coherent against the aggression. This success was due to the country’s military capability, the dear martyrs, and the guidance of the Leader of the Islamic Revolution.”
Seyedah Sedigheh Hejazi, the head of the international conference “Women, Intelligence and Global Justice,” in her speech emphasized the decisive role of women in global developments and said, “The achievement of global justice is not possible without the active, conscious, and responsible presence of women.”
Referring to the rapid and complex developments in the contemporary world, she stated, “The developments of recent years, from the Gaza War to the 12-day war, show that the system of domination has entered the field with a more visible face and is seeking to establish a new architecture of war and insecurity in the international order.”
She said that in the logic of the hegemonic system led by the United States, aggression, occupation, sanctions, killing, and torture are not only not considered deviations, but are also defined as legitimate tools of foreign policy; an approach that results in the spread of insecurity and instability in the world and increased pressure on independent nations.
Referring to the role of the Zionist regime in this hegemonic structure, Hejazi said the Gaza war and even the twelve-day aggression against Iran are not simply regional conflicts, but are part of the grand project of American hegemony, and the illegitimate Israeli regime is the executive arm of these policies.
And Fahimeh Farahmandpour, a member of the Supreme Council for the Cultural Revolution, highlighted the definition of civilization as “the gradual product of a nation’s collective effort based on shared values”.
She added, “In this definition, three basic elements of human resources, a historical context, and shared values play a leading role, with women playing a key role in all three axes.”
Eliminating or weakening the social role of women is equivalent to eliminating half of the human resources of society, she said. “Such an approach not only harms women, but also disrupts the process of civilizational progress.”
Emphasizing the role of the family in civilization, she said the family is both the context for social transformations and the factor of intergenerational transmission of values, and this civilizational function is practically realized with the focus on women.
Guests from Japan, Italy, Germany, Algeria, Pakistan, Bosnia and South Africa were also present at the conference.
Source: IQNA
