|
Biography of Dr. Farokhrou Parsay
by Roya Parsay
Dr.Faroukh Rou Parsay was a hard striving,
goal minded but compassionate lady, who believed in education
and equal opportunity for women. She became a Doctor in Medicine
for children, a principle of one of the largest and prominent
high schools in the country called Reza Shah Kabir High School.
Later she was among the first women to have entered the parliament
(Majlis Shora), went on to be the first woman holding the
deputy of minister position. Dr.Parsay not only was a wonderful
role model but was a devoted advocate in advancing women'sposition
in society by being allowed to prove their capabilities in
every aspect of social and political life. By living this
belief herself, she became the first woman ever in Iran to
hold a position in Shah's cabinet and became minister of education
in late Mohammad Reza Shah's time.
It is of no surprise that she was such an
ambitious woman, the reason was that Dr. Farroukh Rou Parsay
was born from a mother (Mrs. Fakhr Afagh Parsay) who was a
pioneer and an activist in Women liberation herself in her
time. She was the first woman who published a magazine for
women, Jahan Zanan (Women's World) in 1920 and was arrested
and exiled for that. She gave birth to Dr. Parsay in exile
in Ghom while struggling to achieve basic human rights for
women. She wanted equal opportunity for women to be educated,
like men, as another human race. Dr. Parsay's life was devoted
to making a better life for women, following the footsteps
of her mother.
During her term as the Secretary of Education:
- She appointed a lot of qualified women
to positions that were primarily dominated by men. This
encouraged women to work more enthusiastically, knowing
that higher courier achievments are now possible.
- Hundreds of new schools were opened across
the country. The largest and most important of them all
was a complex called " Farah Educational Complex" ,further
south of Tehran, which maintained over 5000 students, boys
and girls mixed together, from kindergarten through highschool.
The principal of this school, Nadjmi Vosooghi, also a capable
woman, who handled this position through out the years until
the revolution.
- The education became public through out
the country, first from kindergarten through 8th grade and
a year later through highschool.
- Free breakfast and lunch started being
served to all students. She was faced with the biggest challenge
in her political life because of distribution channels,
or the lack of it, but she did overcome the challenge to
her best ability and the country's.
She was an example for women to advance their
positions in society and to show their abilities in every
aspect of a social/political life. She was later executed
with false accusations by the regime, but even her death taught
women that their struggle for achieving human rights is live
and ongoing. Peace be upon her and all women who fought with
their lives so that women can prove that they have ownership
of themselves. Among her many speeches, articles and publications
there is a book called Zan Dar Iran Bastan (Women in Ancient
Iran) with the help of other women scholars like Dr. Ahi and
Dr. Taleghanee, which deals primarily with status and role
of women in Shahnameh.
It can be easily concluded that as a result
of her works throughout her life, Dr. Farrokh Rou Parsay did
extend boundary of social and political achievements for all
of us, especially Iranian Women.
|
