The bill of cutting employed women's work hours was removed of government agenda, said Parvin Hedayati, the deputy head of the Presidential Office's Center for Women and Family Affairs.

Hedayati was quoted as saying that despite expert reviews, enacting reforms, and approval in the government committee and subcommittee, the bill of cutting work hours for women from 44 hours to 36 hours in a week was removed of the government agenda after being proposed in Iran's cabinet.

The bill did not include all women, and it was only intended for female-headed households, or women with children under seven years old, or those having a spouse or child with a disability or disease refractory, she added.

The bill was set at seven paragraphs and approved by the government committee and subcommittee but it was removed of the government agenda when it was proposed in the Council of Ministers on July 15, 20102, ISNA reported.

Referring to the need of reducing women's working hours in order to strengthen the family's position, Maryam Mojtahedzadeh, Advisor to the President and Head of Center for Women and Family Affairs had said that due to the conditions and responsibilities of working, and on the other hand, family responsibilities as a wife and mother, women are suffering from hard conditions, and it may cause adverse effects on their position and role in the family.

Presidential center for Women and Family affairs were able to gain the cabinet's approval to add two furlough days per month for women earlier this month.