Iranian physician, politician, and member of the Islamic Consultative Assembly
Zahra Sheikhi
Member of the Parliament of Iran (11th term)
In office 28 May 2020–27 May 2024
Constituency
Isfahan and Varzaneh
Personal details
Born
1979 ( (1979-12-24)December 24,1979 (age45))
Nationality
Iranian
Political party
Principlist
Zahra Sheikhi[1](born 1979) is an Iranian physician and politician currently serving as the Deputy for Research and Technology at Jahad-e Daneshgahi.[2] She was a member of the 11th Islamic Consultative Assembly,representing the Isfahan and Varzaneh electoral district. She served as the first female spokesperson of the Parliament's Health and Treatment Commission,and was elected as the first woman on the Board of Trustees of Jahad-e Daneshgahi by the Supreme Council of the Cultural Revolution.[3] She was also the first woman in Iran to head a presidential campaign.[4]
She was elected to the Parliament in the 11th Islamic Consultative Assembly elections on 21 February 2020,receiving 172,850 votes.[5]
During her term,she served as a member and spokesperson of the Parliament's Health and Treatment Commission.[6] She also chaired the Parliamentary Faction for Health Diplomacy and Healthy Lifestyle and served as a supervisory member of the Supreme Council for Health and Food Security.[7][8]
In 2020,Sheikhi sent a critical letter to President Hassan Rouhani,expressing dissatisfaction over underutilization of scientific resources in combating COVID-19. She emphasized the importance of Traditional Iranian Medicine and criticized the failure to implement national policies on medicinal plants and traditional treatments.[17] She also questioned the structure of the National Headquarters for Combating Coronavirus and raised concerns about WHO testing protocols.[18] Sheikhi further voiced skepticism about the COVAX program and the role of international organizations in vaccine distribution. She referred to historical scandals involving foreign health institutions and echoed claims by some Iranian media outlets regarding Bill Gates and WHO.[19][20]
As head of the presidential campaign
In May 2021,Seyed Amir Hossein Ghazizadeh Hashemi appointed Zahra Sheikhi as head of his presidential election campaign,making her the first Iranian woman to lead such a campaign.[21]
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