Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei says “strengthening the institution of family” and “respecting and honoring women at home” are two important and immediate needs of society.

In a meeting with hundreds of women in the Iranian capital, Tehran on Saturday, the Leader said Western dialog about women is “entirely calculated and political.”

Ayatollah Khamenei added that “while this dialog currently appears to be at its peak, the path of Western dialog on women is going down the hill.”

The Leader said the masculinization of women and sexual exploitation constitute two major parts of Western dialog on women.

    “Westerners seek to [force] professions that are suitable for the physical and mental status of men on women and [try to] portray this as a privilege and something to be proud of,” said the Leader.

Ayatollah Khamenei added that a high number of female intellectuals as well as cultural and political activists is a source of pride.

    “From the Islamic perspective, men and women have special characteristics due to their manner of creation, but they are not different in their human rights, social and moral values, and spiritual evolution,” said the Leader.

The Leader also pointed to the important role of women in the 1979 Islamic Revolution, saying that the state media is obligated to show the real “characteristics of a Muslim woman” and the examples of pious, active women with proper hijab.