Zohreh Yousefian-Molla, adviser to the petroleum minister on
women and family affairs, made the remarks during a visit to the Tehran centre
of the Petrochemical Research and Technology Company, accompanied by Fatemeh
Nateghi, adviser on women and family affairs to the managing director of the
National Petrochemical Company (NPC).
The visit included discussions with company executives and
employees about workplace concerns, professional development and support for
women working in the petrochemical sector.
Mohammad Kermani, chief executive of the Petrochemical
Research and Technology Company, outlined the capabilities of the company's
female workforce and raised issues including support for unmarried female
employees, insurance coverage for employees' children, balancing professional
and family responsibilities, career advancement and greater access to
managerial positions.
Yousefian-Molla discussed initiatives being pursued by the
Oil Ministry in the area of women and family affairs and pledged continued
attention to the issues raised, stressing the importance of drawing more fully
on women's scientific, technical and professional capabilities across the oil
industry.
The delegation also toured workshops, laboratories and
specialised departments at the research centre to assess its research and
technological capabilities.
Broader employee support measures
During a meeting with company employees, Yousefian-Molla
stressed the need to strengthen welfare and social support for oil industry
workers and their families.
She said policies should reflect the specific circumstances
of oil industry employees while ensuring that information is handled
responsibly and that support measures are implemented fairly.
"Decision-making in human resources should take into
account the family and wider community, with fairness and support for all
employees remaining central considerations," she said.
Yousefian-Molla also announced that a comprehensive support
programme for female heads of household in the oil industry was being
developed. She said the issue, along with support for people living
independently, had been under review for about a year.
On employee counselling services, she said a counselling
centre was operating in Tehran at the National Iranian Oil Company's central
building No. 8. Agreements and memorandums of understanding had also been
concluded with several other counselling centres in the capital.
Employees can access services at participating centres at
discounted rates, she said, adding that arrangements to extend access across
different oil industry companies were under consideration.
Yousefian-Molla further called for coordination among
women's affairs offices, بسیج
(Basij) organisations, and sports and health units to expand support programmes
for the families of employees in operational areas.
She said the oil industry should make full use of its
existing resources to improve employee health and well-being across all
dimensions.