Analysis of the Process of Establishment of Women’s Organization of Bushehr, Study Research: Socio-Cultural Activities of Family Welfare Centers (1967-1978)

The women's organization of Iran was founded in 1966. The ultimate purpose of the organization was to raise the cultural, social and economic knowledge of the women of Iran. The organization created nearly 400 Centers all over the country. One of the Centers was established in Bushehr province in late 1966. The most emphasis of the Women's Organization was on the enhancement of woman's knowledge and education and providing facilities for their entry into the labor market. Thereby, the Women's Organization of Bushehr focused mostly on holding several types of artistic and literacy courses and acquainting women with different employment and job search methods.  This study aims to address and explain how Women's Organization of Bushehr was founded and what social and cultural activities and services it accomplished. The question of the research is ‘What services the organization has made in the family welfare centers for self-awareness and promotion of women's status in this region?’ The findings of this research show that Women's organization of Bushehr, in the sphere of social welfare, focused on literacy development, held professional education classes and courses in the field of business and provided family and legal counseling, which resulted in the growth of knowledge, development of employment and promotion of women's role and statue in various social and cultural affairs. 

One of the programs of Iran's Pahlavi dynasty was considering women and girls issues and trying to draw women outside of their home and to engage some educated and working women in government departments and labor markets. In this regard, Raza shah Pahlavi established numerous public schools for girls throughout Iran and set the mandatory unveiling of women known as Kashf-e hijab. In addition, he founded 'The Women's Association' to educate them according to the pattern he had in his mind, and centralized all related activities of women in this government department. After that, Mohammad Raza shah, in line with the development and modernization of Iran, took serious consideration to women's issues and their associations. Thus, he established several governmental institutions, entities and organizations related to women from the 1330s to 1350s. One of the most important government departments related to women in Mohammad Raza shah reign was 'The Women's Organization of Iran' which took considerable measures in various facets and fields. In addition to Organization's activities in Tehran, it undertook activities in other cities and even in several villages in Iran. According to governmental and official statistics, Women's Organization of Iran grew to establish nearly 400 centers and branches across Iranian cities by 1977. The organization started its activities in Bushehr province and its subsidiaries in late 1966. Whereas there are no available scientific studies with a historical approach about the process of foundation and performance of the family welfare centers in Women's Organization of the current province of Bushehr, this research seeks to address this issue through original resources, archival records, historical studies and oral history. This study is based on the assumption that Women's Organization of Bushehr has promoted women's role and status in different fields such as educational, health, cultural and legal affairs.

The data are gathered from valid historical sources, archival documents, journals, field studies, oral history, and through interviews with people who have been the main members of Women's Organization of Bushehr and its subsidiaries. The method used in this study is the method of analyzing the content and it relies on the main sources.

In Bushehr, Women's Organization of Iran was founded by women working in social sectors and employed them in 1966. Additionally, several centers were established in some districts of Bushehr province from 1966 to 1970. Women's Organization of Bushehr was administered directly under the supervision of the central center in Tehran. Family welfare centers were the most important body of Women's Organization of Iran, which acted as a service unit. The activities of these centers include education (literacy technical and vocational training), kindergarten, health and family planning, family and legal counseling. The most successful measures taken by the Women’s Organization of Bushehr was holding and launching specific job training centers such as carpet weaving, sewing, weaving, embroidery, typewriting and barbering. The unit of kindergarten in the family welfare centers in Bushehr undertook the duty of caring for children in low-income families. The purpose of establishing the unit of health and family planning by the Women’s Organization was to raise the level of women's knowledge about individual health, maternal and child health and the importance of family planning. The unit is administered in association with the Ministry of Health. The unit of legal and family counseling in family welfare centers in Bushehr, as well as other parts of Iran, undertook the duty of guidance and assistance to families for marriage, family relations, child training, complaints in legal cases or offering training courses. Women's Organization of Bushehr continued its activities for months after the Islamic revolution victory. After a few months, in 1979, an audit commission was sent to Women’s Organization Centers in various cities. Accordingly, Centers located in Bushehr port were audited and after ensuring that there were not any kind of illegal works, they were officially dissolved. After the announcement of dissolution, all employees working in the Organization were transferred to the Welfare Organization. One of the achievements of Women's Organization of Bushehr was that efforts of the Organization resulted in solving or decreasing some problems of women living in Bushehr. The Organization of Bushehr, to the extent of its power and energy, took considerable actions in the social welfare sector, which included increasing civil awareness, providing education, health and cultural services for employed mothers or non-educated and unemployed women, protecting homeless women, offering legal and judicial advice to female inmates of prisons, setting up kindergartens, and especially training women in the field of public and personal health. As a result, the Organization promoted the role and status of women in various social and cultural areas. At the same time, the traditional and religious context of the women’s society didn't profoundly change according to the demand and patterns determined by the government.