Shahrzadnews: An Iranian environmental expert has said that the adverse effects of uncontrolled air pollution should be a major concern for NGO activists, as Iran braces itself for social change.
Shahrbano Amani told the ILNA news agency: “The country is undergoing highly undesirable environmental changes. The severe air pollution has had particularly adverse effects on the health of women, both physically and psychologically. They are suffering from an increasing incidence of infertility, miscarriages and cancer. As a result they are becoming demoralized, and their behavior towards others has been affected.”
Quoting German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s remark that women around the world no longer regard themselves as second-class citizens, Amani added: “Some people in this country think that unemployment would cease to exist if women stayed at home and gave up trying to claim their civil rights. Others say we would not have heavy traffic and pollution if women stopped driving. However none of these issues will be solved by taking women out of the picture.”
