TEHRAN -- Tehran City Council member Fatemeh Jalaei-Pour said that women's participation in society and the number of nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) advocating women's rights have strikingly increased since the victory of the Islamic Revolution.

According to reports released by the public relations office of the Tehran City Council and its international center, Mrs.

Jalaei-Pour visited French women's rights activists and said that Iranian NGOs are actively aiding the poor and sick and are paying more attention to social problems.

She said that the government of the Islamic Republic of Iran assists these groups and authorizes their activities. Referring to Tehran's problems and women's social role, she said, "Encouraging the cooperation of women and other citizens is the best way to deal with these problems." Speaking during a visit to Iran, Mary Klamanchemi-Bandoo, chairwoman of the Paris Social Workers Association, said, "The elevation of Iranian women's social status compared to their status before the revolution surprised me."

Klamanchemi-Bandoo added that Iranian women and men are given equal pay for equal work, while French women are not given equal pay and equal rights.