Sooner rather than later, Iran will open up to the Western worlld.  The following reports on economic problems in the country  that particulary impact women and children.

If Iranian President Hassan Rouhani were to battle poverty as he said he would, he must address the corruption that resulted from efforts to evade sanctions.

The Statistical Center of Iran released a report last month showing the average expediture for an  urban household is about 10,925,000 rials ($336), much lower than 25 million rials ($780) estimated by independent economists..

Thirty-six years after the “anti-capitalist” revolution, Islamic leaders have failed to ensure the fair distribution of wealth and equality of opportunity. In Iran, 7 million people now live in absolute poverty and their food security is at risk. At the other end, 5 million are superich with wealth comparable to that of the richest Americans, as Labor Minister Ali Rabiee has put it.

Fighting poverty has been a focal point for President Hassan Rouhani since he took office last summer. In his Oct. 22 speech in the northwestern city of Zanjan, the president reiterated there was “no evil worse than unemployment and poverty.”

Officials predict that unemployment will become a major issue in a few years when about 4 million unskilled university graduates join the 4 million unemployed.  According to the latest data available, in the last fiscal year, almost one-fourth (24%) of Iranian households did not have even one employed member. The figure was 10% back in 1992-93, indicating that many families have lost a reliable income source since 21 years ago.

In the past year, measures taken by Rouhani’s economic team have helped curb inflation and end two years of negative growth, but observers believe the moderate president will face grave challenges in reducing poverty as the lucrative parts of the economy are mainly controlled by either the government or semi-private entities that have close links with power circles.

So far, Rouhani has adopted a three-part policy to assist the most vulnerable population in the short run, earn the trust of the private sector in the middle term and achieve sustainable economic development in the long run, with each requiring a separate strategy.   Iranian Economy