Critical discourse analysis of the role of women in development policies after the Islamic Revolution of Iran

Regarding the importance of women and gender equality in countries’ development, this article seeks to understand the role of women in development policies after the Islamic Revolution of Iran. The method of critical discourse analysis has been used to identify the role of women in development policies after the Islamic Revolution of Iran. To achieve this purpose was analyzed six documents of the development laws were adopted after the Islamic Revolution. Based on the analysis of the documents, three discourses about women and development are distinguishable from each other. The first discourse is called "gender development", which has emerged in the law of the first, third and fourth development programs. The second discourse is called " development as a threat to women " This discourse is placed in the law of second and fifth development law. "Women as the agents of development" is the name of the third discourse that can be seen in the sixth law. The discourse considers women who contribute to future development, not through work and education, but through greater fertility.
The central signs of the discourse of "gender development" are "gender equality” and “decreased fertility rate”, the central sign of the discourse of "development as a threat to women" is the " Cultural invasion " and The central signs of the discourse of "women as the agents of development" are "reproduction of gender roles” and “increase fertility rate”. As a result of the third discourse, women will increasingly become vulnerable groups and social development will not be achieved. Therefore, policymakers should balance the population needed for development and gender development.