Supreme Leader Emphasizes Women’s Elevated Status in Islam, Family Collapse Crisis in the West

AhlulBayt News Agency (ABNA): A gathering of thousands of Iranian women and girls with the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic on the anniversary of the martyrdom of Lady Fatimah (a.s.) became an occasion to reaffirm the status of women in Islam and to critique the Western approach to women’s identity.

During the event, the Supreme Leader described Lady Fatimah (a.s.) as the most complete model for Muslim women, emphasizing the spiritual, legal, and human dignity granted to women in the Islamic system and pointing to the progress of Iranian women after the Revolution as evidence of the model’s effectiveness. In contrast, he identified Western culture as a driving force behind the decline in women’s status and the widespread collapse of the family structure, a phenomenon reflected in the growing number of fatherless children in various Western countries.

The Leader’s remarks also highlighted the need for cultural protection, stronger policies supporting women and families, accurate representation of Muslim women in the media, and resistance against distorted Western narratives.

The Noble Model of Women in the Islamic Perspective

This meeting, held on Wednesday morning, December 3, and coinciding with Fatimiyyah and the anniversary of Lady Fatimah’s (a.s.) martyrdom, featured the Supreme Leader’s reference to her unparalleled virtues and his presentation of her as a model for Muslim women, one aligned with human dignity, personal independence, spiritual growth, and a balanced role for women in both family and society.

He noted that in Islam, human worth is not determined by gender but by piety and righteous action, placing opportunities for spiritual and social advancement equally before men and women.

Family: The Foundation of Women’s Dignity and Security

The Supreme Leader identified the family as the pillar of social identity and warned that promoting Western models distorts women’s true role and reduces their value to a mere instrument. Underscoring the significance of motherhood and the role of women in the home, he clarified that this should not be positioned in opposition to women’s social participation. Security, respect, justice, and freedom of action were among the rights he emphasized as essential for maintaining family well-being.

The Crisis of Family Breakdown in the West

Among the key points raised was the comparison between the status of women in Islam and the situation of women in Western societies. The Supreme Leader stated that Western culture, under the pretext of freedom, has reduced the status of women to an “instrumental role,” arguing that the current condition of women in these societies reflects not liberation but humiliation and captivity.

Grand Ayatollah Khamenei also pointed to the disintegration of the family system in the West, most clearly seen in the rising number of children born or raised without knowing their fathers. Citing Western sources, he referred to data from several major countries:

Children under 15 in Western countries growing up without a father:

1. United States: one in every four children (1)
2. United Kingdom: nearly one in every three children (2)
3. Germany: more than 13% of children (3)
4. France: around 23% of children (4)
5. Canada: 15% of children (5)
6. Denmark: 14% of children (6)
7. Netherlands: about 16% of children (7)

According to the Leader’s comments and Western data itself, these figures illustrate a profound civilizational failure in safeguarding the most fundamental social institution: the family.

The Leader’s speech underscored that the Islamic model of womanhood—unlike the Western model—is rooted in dignity, spirituality, and familial stability, capable of ensuring both social progress and domestic tranquility. The emphasis on following the example of Lady Fatimah (a.s.), the critique of Western consumerist models, and attention to alarming family breakdown statistics in the West altogether present a set of essential warnings and strategic directions for the country’s cultural and social policymaking.

Sources:

1. https://www.fathers-4-justice.org/about-f4j/fact-sheet/
2. https://www.bmbfsfj.bund.de/resource/blob/239468/a09d21ecd295be59a9aced5b10d7c5b7/familienreport-2024-data.pdf
3. https://www.insee.fr/en/statistiques/8334675
4. https://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2016/as-sa/98-200-x/2016006/98-200-x2016006-eng.cfm
5. https://www.statista.com/statistics/781403/number-of-children-living-with-single-mothers-in-denmark-by-age/
6. https://www.fatherhood.org/father-absence-statistic
7. https://longreads.cbs.nl/jeugdmonitor-2023/annual-report-youth-monitor-2023-summary/

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