woman to his cabinet, more than have ever served at the same before In Iran’s history. The cabinet is composed of 21 ministers, who must be approved by the Majlis, and 12 vice presidents, who do not need Majlis approval. The minister of health is currently a woman, but two other female nominees presented to the Majlis by Ahmadi-nejad were rejected. Instead, over the past year, the president has named three vice presidents—one for legal affairs, one for science and technology and the third, Farahnaz Torkestani, named Monday as vice president and head of the National Youth Organization. While Ahmadi-nejad is often lambasted by his enemies as a misogynist, he is not and has often gotten in trouble for his support for women’s equality and his opposition to enforcement of the dress code.
