Iran set to appoint first female ambassador since 1979's Islamic revolution
Marzieh Afkham is about to make history.
Afkham is set to become the head of a mission in East Asia, according to Iran's state news agency. The country Afkham will be assigned to has not been revealed, since her appointment isn't official yet.
But wherever Afkham is posted, she will be Iran's first female ambassador since the Islamic revolution in 1979, and she'll only be Iran's second female ambassador ever. (In 1976, Mehrangiz Dolatshahi became an Iranian ambassador to Denmark.)
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Iframe Code
This won't be the first time Afkham has set a new record for women's equality — she's already the first woman to serve as the spokesperson for Iran's foreign minister. Mohammad Javad Zarif appointed her as his spokeswoman in 2013. Hassan Rouhani, Iran's president, has said that it is his government's responsibility to "create equal opportunities for women."
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Meghan DeMaria is a staff writer at TheWeek.com. She has previously worked for USA Today and Marie Claire.
-
Puffed rice and yoga: inside the collapsed tunnel where Indian workers await rescue
Speed Read Workers trapped in collapsed tunnel are suffering from dysentery and anxiety over their rescue
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published
-
More than 2,000 dead following massive earthquake in Morocco
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans Published
-
Mexico's next president will almost certainly be its 1st female president
Speed Read
By Peter Weber Published
-
North Korea's Kim to visit Putin in eastern Russia to discuss arms sales for Ukraine war, U.S. says
Speed Read
By Peter Weber Published
-
Gabon's military leader sworn in following coup in latest African uprising
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans Published
-
Nobody seems surprised Wagner's Prigozhin died under suspicious circumstances
Speed Read
By Peter Weber Published
-
Western mountain climbers allegedly left Pakistani porter to die on K2
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans Published
-
'Circular saw blades' divide controversial Rio Grande buoys installed by Texas governor
Speed Read
By Peter Weber Published