Behrouz Azar: Creative Industries Must Take Women from Production to Global Markets

ISFAHAN – The Vice President for Women and Family Affairs, stressing the need to develop the creative industries market, said support for women active in this field must not be limited to production, and access to national and international markets must be a priority.

According to Mehr reporter, Zahra Behroozazer, at the opening of the Manvin National Creative Industries event, which is being held in Isfahan on Tuesday morning under the auspices of the Presidential Vice President for Science, Technology and Knowledge-Based Economy, stated that the link between Iran's historical roots and the fast-paced developments of today's world is one of the fundamental questions in the country's development path, and stated: Creative economy can be the link between these two fields; Because in this economy, culture, skill, technology and innovation come together to turn cultural capital into a dynamic economy and social wealth.

The Vice President of Women and Family Affairs stressed the necessity of positioning the creative economy in the development policies of the country and stated: This economic field is not a marginal field, but is formed based on human creativity, current knowledge, intellectual assets and human capital capacities, and can play a role in creating employment and strengthening local and culture-oriented economies.

The development of creative industries depends on the empowerment and equal participation of women

Referring to the pivotal role of women in the chain of creative industries, Behrouz Azar said: Women in industrial and traditional arts, handicrafts, weavings and cultural products are not just labor force, but they are the keepers of the historical memory, local knowledge and creativity of this land. Therefore, the development of creative industries should be accompanied by the promotion of the status of women and the provision of equal opportunities for their effective presence in this field.

Emphasizing that supporting women active in creative industries should not be limited to the production stage, he continued: connecting female producers to large national and international markets, identifying obstacles to economic activity and solving financing problems are among the necessities of the development of this sector. Without providing access to the market and capital, women's creative capacities will not be fully transformed into economic opportunities.

The Vice President of Women and Family Affairs considered financing and providing the necessary guarantees to receive facilities as one of the structural obstacles to women's entrepreneurship and said: In the 14th government, the ceiling of guarantees related to women's facilities has been increased, and for women heads of households in deciles one to five, for whom the possibility of providing bank guarantees is limited, an increase in guarantees has been considered.

Behroozazer added: The capital of the guarantee fund has also increased by one hemat in order to provide more effective support to women in the way of launching and developing economic activities. Also, homework facilities with employment priority, especially women's employment, are distributed among 11 groups of women with the coordination of the Vice-Chancellor of Women and Family Affairs.

Referring to the diversity of economic and social conditions of women in the country, he stated: Women cannot be considered as a single integrated group; Housewives, working women, retired women, heads of households and women who face social harms, each have different needs and conditions, and employment policies should be designed according to these differences.

The Vice President of Women and Family Affairs considered creative industries to have the capacity to create opportunities for different groups of women and said: This field can create new paths for their economic participation in accordance with the capabilities and conditions of different groups. A capacity that should be considered more than in the past in women's employment policies.

More than 60% of university applicants are women

Referring to the contribution of women in higher education and the gap between university attendance and their economic participation, Behrouz Azar added: more than 60% of university applicants are women, but the rate of economic participation of university graduates is about 35%. The development of creative industries can provide more opportunities for the economic presence of this group and benefit from their expertise and knowledge.

He also pointed to the capacity of family-based creative industries, and pointed to areas such as food, food and clothing, and said: Part of these capabilities are the result of arts and skills that have been passed down from generation to generation from mothers to children. This skill heritage can be transformed into new opportunities for women's employment and economic activity by using the capacities of creative industries.

The vice president of women and family affairs expressed his hope that the national event of Manvin creative industries will become a platform for wider recognition of the diversity and capacities of these industries and the formation of a dialogue between policy makers and activists in this field and that it will continue in the following periods.