Title: Iran’s Welfare Organization Announces Comprehensive Support Strategy, Focusing on Empowerment and Inclusion
Subtitle: Official Outlines Expansive Social Safety Net Initiatives, from Job Creation to Healthcare, Aimed at Strengthening Communities
In a significant address at the Shahinshahr county administrative council meeting, Seyed Javad Hosseini, Deputy Minister and Head of Iran’s State Welfare Organization (SWO), detailed a broad and transformative agenda focused on social support, empowerment, and inclusive public service.
A Mandate of Comprehensive Care
Mr. Hosseini emphasized that while the SWO’s primary focus is on specific groups including persons with disabilities, the elderly, and those with special needs, its umbrella of services extends to all citizens. He articulated the organization’s core mission: ensuring that no individual is left behind from the sphere of social services, a principle he termed “completeness.”
Pioneering Public Health Achievements
A standout achievement highlighted was Iran’s national vision screening program for children aged 3 to 6. Over the past three decades, this initiative has screened 62 million children. This year alone, 22,000 children in Shahinshahr will be covered. The official credited these efforts with saving 550,000 individuals from blindness or visual impairment, noting that Iran’s rate of amblyopia has been reduced to 1.5%, significantly lower than the global average of 3.5-4%.
Shifting from Subsidy to Empowerment
A central theme of the new policy is a strategic pivot from providing stipends to fostering self-sufficiency. “The approach of the organization must change from pension payment to empowerment,” Hosseini stated. He reported that last year, 71,000 job opportunities were created for welfare recipients, with 5,000 targeted for Isfahan province this year.
An innovative solar panel project in Isfahan was announced as a model for this approach, where 1,500 beneficiaries will become shareholders and earn a stable monthly income without needing bank referrals or guarantees.
Targeted Support for Vulnerable Groups
The official outlined several targeted initiatives:
- Household Heads: All rural and nomadic female-headed households in the Shahinshahr region will receive free social insurance, with a portion of urban female-headed households also being covered.
- Housing Support: In cooperation with the Ministry of Roads and Housing Foundation, the SWO provides significant grants of up to 200 million tomans alongside banking facilities to persons with disabilities and female-headed households for housing.
- Marriage Support: This year, at least 50% of persons with disabilities in the region who apply for marriage will receive special support for dowries.
Planning for the Future
Addressing Iran’s rapidly aging population, projected to exceed 31% by 2051, Hosseini stressed the urgent need for planning for “a prosperous aging.” A new agreement with the Ministry of Education will see schools transformed into local community centers after hours to provide services to local residents, the elderly, and persons with disabilities.
He also introduced the “theory of extension,” advocating for a societal shift from creating accommodations for persons with disabilities to achieving accessibility for all, recognizing that every individual has unique capacities and potential.
In concluding, the official reaffirmed the Welfare Organization’s role as a vital product of the Islamic Revolution, providing extensive services “from before birth until after death,” and committed to creating equal life opportunities for all segments of society through empowerment and innovative support systems.
