Rereading Iran's history through the lens of women's role/from historical memory to protecting cultural identity

The national pre-conference "Women in the local history of Sistan and Baluchistan" was held in the Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts, emphasizing the necessity of recognizing the role of women in the formation of Iranian civilization, documenting the intangible heritage and representing their historical contribution to the cultural and social life of the country.

According to the reporter of Aria Heritage, the national pre-conference "Women in the Local History of Sistan and Baluchistan" organized by the Association of Women History Researchers and the Office of Women and Family Affairs of the Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts and in cooperation with the General Department of Public Relations of the Ministry, with the presence of a group of officials, researchers and experts in the field of history, anthropology and cultural heritage, was held today, Tuesday, October 21, 1405, in the amphitheater hall of this ministry. A scientist who emphasized the necessity of rereading history from the perspective of women's roles and the preservation of parts of Iran's historical memory.

Atefeh Maravi, Advisor to the Minister of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts on Women and Family Affairs, at the beginning of this ceremony, emphasized the necessity of expanding such an approach in other regions of the country and said: This conference can be a beginning for the development of activities related to the recognition of the role of women in different cities and regions of Iran.

Emphasizing that the main criterion in management and social fields should be meritocracy, he stated: I do not believe in gender discrimination and meritocracy is important to me; But history has turned out in such a way that the role of women in many fields has been given less attention. Therefore, we must try to revive and recognize this historical role.

Referring to the historical and cultural status of Sistan and Baluchistan, Maravi added: This region has a prominent place in the historical and cultural memory of Iran, and examining the role of women in this region is an opportunity to get a deeper understanding of their contribution to the formation and continuation of Iranian culture.

Adviser to the Minister of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts on Women and Family Affairs, emphasizing the fundamental role of women in scientific development and promotion of cultural governance of the country, noted: Women have played essential roles in the promotion of science and promotion of culture and cultural governance, and we hope to be able to raise their status to a level worthy of their capacities, abilities and historical contribution.

Asieh Al-Ahmad, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Association of Women Researchers of History, also explained the background of the activities of this association and said: During its 27 years of activity, the Association of Women Researchers of History has tried to investigate the lesser-known aspects of women's history and provide a basis for recognizing women who have been excluded from historical narratives or have received less attention.

He added: Women's history has always been neglected, and one of the goals of the association is to recognize these women and represent their lives based on historical facts, an approach that can help improve society's view of women's contribution to historical and social developments.

The Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Association of Women History Researchers emphasized the importance of local history and stated: Local history is of special importance to us and the link between women's history and local history is one of the research priorities of the association. In this framework, we have held various conferences in different regions of Iran, and today, together with a group of researchers, a national pre-conference on women in the local history of Sistan and Baluchistan was held.

Al-Ahmad expressed his hope that holding this event can open new horizons for research related to women's history and provide more attention to the historical and cultural capacities of women in different regions of the country.

Mohammad Ebrahim Zarei, the head of the Cultural Heritage and Tourism Research Institute, referring to the history of paying attention to the role of women in heritage studies, said: "Years ago, for the first time, we talked about women mosque builders, and this shows that investigating the role of women in various fields of cultural heritage requires the continuation and expansion of specialized research."

Emphasizing the necessity of using the capabilities of women in research and cultural development processes, he added: The more we pay attention to the capabilities of women in various fields, the more the possibility of society benefiting from these capabilities will increase. In Sistan and Baluchistan, the field of more effective participation of women and the use of their capacities should be provided, just like the experiences that have been noticed in Kurdistan.

The head of the Cultural Heritage and Tourism Research Institute considered women's historical memory as one of the valuable sources of knowledge of culture and society and stated: Women have treasures of memories, experiences and cultural knowledge in their memory that should be recorded, documented and preserved. A closer examination of the capacities of Sistan and Baluchistan also shows that the women of this region can play an influential role in understanding and explaining its history and culture.

Referring to the position of women in ethnography and knowledge of local cultures, Zarei continued: Women play an effective role in recognizing and recreating the cultural identity of regions, recognizing local dialects, and transferring customs and traditions. Completing these studies requires the cooperation of researchers and benefiting from the knowledge and experience of people who can participate in recording and explaining this heritage more precisely.

Fatemeh Faridi, a faculty member of Iranology Foundation, also considered this event as an opportunity to review a part of the civilization and culture of Iran and said: The theme of this conference is to review the role of women in Sistan, a region that has a special place in the historical memory of Iranians, and in some historical narratives, it is also referred to as the "Pearl of Eastern Iran".

He added: In this conference, we are trying to read the Sistani women not as a part of the local society, but as historical activists, social assets and protectors of the national identity, women who have contributed to maintaining cultural ties, continuing traditions and transferring historical experiences from one generation to another.

Referring to the cultural and social characteristics of the women of Sistan and Baluchistan, Faridi said: guarding the geographical and cultural borders, patience and perseverance, maintaining local customs and traditions, and having sobriety are among the characteristics that are considered in describing the position of women in this region.

Farideh Majidi Khamene, the head of the Anthropology Department of the Research Institute of Cultural Heritage and Tourism, also emphasized the role of women in the production and transmission of culture and said: Women as promoters and producers of culture play an important role in the development and continuation of intangible heritage. This role begins with motherhood and managing the family center and continues in wider cultural and social fields.

Referring to the link between women's lived experience and the dynamics of cultural heritage, he pointed out: By transferring knowledge, skills, customs, traditions and ways of life, women transform cultural heritage from a collection of knowledge and relics of the past into a living and dynamic experience, a capacity that is necessary to identify and document for a more comprehensive understanding of the history and culture of society.