Tehran School of Social Work
In 1958, Sattareh Farman Farmaian founded the Tehran School of Social Work and served at its director until 1979. The School was the only independent, private, voluntary school of social work in Iran. It grew from 20 students in 1958 to over 500 students in 1979. The school conferred on its graduates a Bachelor of Arts degree in Social Work and a Masters degree in Social Work Administration and Research.Throughout the years, Ms. Farman Farmaian was responsible for creating social welfare agencies for field work placement of the School's graduates and supervising their work in private clinics, businesses, schools, and health centers in Iran's urban and rural areas.
In order to maintain the Schools' independent status, Ms. Farman Farmaian obtained extensive private donations for both operating and capital expenses, in addition to training conferences, visiting scholars, and volunteer assistance from a variety of international organizations such as the American Joint Distribution Committee, the United Presbyterian Church, the UN Population and Family Planning Committees, and the Fulbright Commission. She also served as a classroom instructor and supervised students at the School and in the field.
Community Welfare Centers
The Community Welfare Center concept was introduced by Ms. Farman Farmaian in order that specific social dilemmas (whether natural disasters or a recurrent welfare problem) could be tackled within a broader framework, integrating a range of social services, community self-help efforts, and family planning programs.Among the many laws in the field of community welfare for which she provided a major motivating effort are:
- Family Protection laws
- Juvenile Court laws
- Status of Women laws
Ms. Farman Farmaian trained women and youth groups, volunteers, government officials, and social workers responsible for the on-going activities at the Community Welfare Centers. She supervised social welfare caseworkers in their research, analysis, and recommendations for new center development.
She secured the donation of land for the centers and raised funds for their construction and operating budgets.
Family Planning Association of Iran
As founder, executive director, and chairman of the board of the Family Planning Association of Iran, Ms. Farman Farmaian introduced self-help methods for planned parenthood; extensive motivation, education, and health programs in schools, factories, women's groups and other organizations located throughout the country, from the urban slums to rural villages.The Association grew from a handful of volunteers in 1958 to become a network of 300 clinics staffed by 500 physicians, nurses, midwives, social workers, and volunteers.
Ms. Farman Farmaian recruited volunteers for the Association from local villages and from public and private agencies in the cities and the provinces. She organized and taught short-term training sessions and wrote much of the teaching material. She obtained the private donations and government funding necessary for the Association's operations and for the development of new clinics.
She was instrumental in the formulation and the passage of social legislation dealing with the status of women, women's right to contraception, family protection, and juvenile rights at home and in the courts.
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