Western Australian former Labor and now Independent Senator Fatima Payman has issued an apology after facing intense criticism for calling Iran an “incredible” place for women during an event hosted by the Benevolent Iranian Women’s Association at Western Sydney University.
In an interview with Iranian state-owned broadcaster Press TV, Senator Payman claimed that Iran “allows women to participate in the workforce” and dismissed Western criticism of the regime as “propaganda.”
The remarks sparked outrage, with critics accusing her of echoing the rhetoric of the Iranian government, which has been widely condemned for human rights abuses against women.
Speaking to Press TV, Australian Senator @SenatorPayman said that, contrary to the propaganda of 'single-sided organizations', women have a voice in Iran and are involved in the democratic process.
— Press TV
Follow: https://t.co/B3zXG73Jym pic.twitter.com/xiutfMmb5j(@PressTV) February 25, 2025
Following the backlash, Senator Payman released a statement on Thursday, distancing herself from her earlier comments. “I made comments that reflected what women had shared with me, not my personal opinion,” she said, adding that she had “no knowledge of Press TV and their political affiliations.”
Senator Payman’s comments have prompted a formal request for an investigation by the Australian Iranian Community Organisation.
President Siamak Ghahreman urged Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke to examine whether Senator Payman’s remarks were influenced by foreign entities, warning they could “distort the truth” and spread misinformation.
Iranian-Canadian political and human rights activist Goldie Ghamari strongly criticised Senator Fatima Payman on X, accusing her of “foreign interference” and supporting Iran’s Islamist regime.
Ghamari observed, “She is essentially admitting to foreign interference. @SenatorPayman, who is paying you to spew Islamofascist Jihadi ideology? Whose opinion was it?”
Meanwhile, academic Dr Kylie Moore-Gilbert has questioned the Australian government’s stance on the sanctioned Iranian state broadcaster, highlighting its earlier role in airing forced confessions and its access to an Australian senator.
“Why then is PressTV still operating openly in Australia? Why does PressTV have an Australia-based reporter? How was PressTV able to access an Australian Senator (
@SenatorPayman) to use as an accomplice in their whitewashing of the Islamic Republic’s horrific record on women’s rights?”
Senator Pauline Hanson criticised Fatima Payman’s remarks as “very ignorant,” arguing that Iran’s Islamist regime only suppresses women. Meanwhile, NSW Minister for Women Jodie Harrison apologised for attending the event, which aimed to challenge Western narratives about Iranian women.
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