Tehran- The unemployment rate in Iran remains low, according to the annual report of the World Economic Forum. The number of women starting a business is very few in the country, where the unemployment rate of women is much lower. One of these women starting a business is Maryam Rouhani, in her words, “A villager from Horosan”. Mayram started her career as a hairdresser and she slowly became a professional in this field. But she didn’t feel satisfied with her job anymore and decided to be a car mechanic because she was interested in cars. Maryam is a woman who can repair all cars.

“They confidently give their cars’ keys”

Maryam is just one of the thousands of car mechanics in Tehran’s car market… She repairs cars and performs routine maintenance of cars. Nowadays, many people visit her shop when they have a problem with their cars but everything was different when she started working as a car mechanic. “When I first started working in the car repair-shop. I faced many stereotypes. No one wanted to deliver their cars to be repaired by a woman. But now, they confidently give their cars’ keys to be repaired by me.”

“I will keep working to break gender stereotypes”

Maryam is originally from Horasan, “Iranian women are unlucky from the beginning when they want to have a job or start a business. They have to choose certain professions in business life. They face gender stereotypes in business life,” Maryam said that despite many challenges such as heavy working conditions and the unsuitability of the workplace, she will continue to work even if she has to break gender stereotypes.

“The door of the business life doesn’t easily open for women”

Maryam told us that Iranian women don’t have opportunities to have training courses and that the door of the business life doesn’t easily open for women, “The door of the business life doesn’t easily open for women. Sometimes, some technical training courses are organized but the rate of girls going to schools is obvious, the rate of women graduated from universities is oblivious and the unemployment rate of women is obvious.”