Speaking Tuesday at a ceremony marking Women’s Day and Mothers’ Day, Jalal Mirzaei conveyed the oil minister’s greetings to women in the industry. He congratulated all distinguished women and oil sector employees on the occasion and honored the memory of engineer Saeidian, who was killed along with her husband and young child during the 12-day war.

Highlighting the historic role of women alongside influential figures, Mirzaei said many successful managers, writers and statesmen have credited their achievements to the support and solidarity of women as mothers, spouses or sisters.

The acting head of the ministerial office noted that women also played a prominent role during the Iran-Iraq War by managing households and supporting combatants, adding that today women carry significant responsibilities in safeguarding the nation’s security, independence and development.

Mirzaei pointed to the successful development experiences of Southeast Asian countries, including Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore and India, saying economists and development scholars have acknowledged the critical contributions of women in those nations’ progress.

He reiterated that no country has advanced without the real participation of women.

The minister’s adviser concluded by expressing hope that the presence of women entrepreneurs, capable managers and specialists will continue to grow in the coming years, helping to speed up the country’s development.