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| Iran | |
 Flag of Iran | |
| Population (in Mil.) | 67 |
 Sex Ratio (m/f)
| 1,02 |
 Life Expectancy Ratio (f/m)
| 1.04 |
 Fertility Rate
| 1.83 |
 Income Ratio (f/m)
| - |
 Literacy Ratio (f/m)
| 0,84 |
 Tertiary Enrolment Ratio (f/m)
| 1,1 |
 Women in Parliament (in %)
| 4,1 |
| SIGI Rank | 95 |
| More information on variables | |
| Did you know that Iran ranks number 95 of 102 countries on the OECD Social Institutions and Gender Index? To learn more, see the official country note "Gender Equality and Social Institutions in Iran" at genderindex.org: | |
Contents |
Social Institutions
Iran is a theocratic republic and the situation of its women is very much affected by Islam (the majority of the population are Shia muslims) and Sharia law. While the Constitution in large supports men’s and women’s equal rights, its enforcement is often poor and some discriminatory provisions still remain. Women’s rights activists in the country continue to face obstacles in their attempts to improve the conditions for women. Some members of the “Campaign for Equality” (a network aiming to end legal discrimination against women in Iran) have even been arrested following demonstrations demanding equal rights for men and women. Still, it can be noted that women’s human rights have in fact advanced, with an emphasis on respect for family, religion and community (Moghadam, 2003). In 2007, an international network of Iranian women in exile was created to support the work of feminist in Iran and inform the public of the situation of Iranian women (Iran-Women-Solidarity). Iran is not a party to the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW).
Family Code
While the average age of marriage appears to be increasing for both men and women, practices of early marriage still exist. The legal age of marriage is only 13 years, but fathers also have the right to apply for permission to marry their daughters already at the age of nine years (Amnesty International, 2007). An estimated 18 percent of girls between 15 and 19 years of age are currently married, divorced or widowed in Iran (UN, 2004). Polygamy is legal in Iran, following provisions in Sharia that allow a Muslim man to take up to four wives.
Parental authority generally rests with the father as Sharia holds him as the natural guardian of his children (Uhlman, 2004). In the event of divorce, mothers have automatic physical custody of her children until they reach the age of seven years. Before recent legal amendments, however, mothers could only keep their sons until the age of two.
Islamic law provides for detailed and complex calculations of inheritance shares. A woman may inherit from her father, her mother, her husband, her children, and under certain conditions, from other members of her family, but her share is generally smaller than a man’s entitlement. A daughter, for example, inherits half as much as a son. This is commonly justified by the fact that a woman has no financial responsibility towards her husband and children.
Physical Integrity
Female genital mutilation is not a general practice in Iran, but is believed to occur in the regions bordering Iraqi Kurdistan (IRIN, 2005).
Violence against women is common and there are no specific legal provisions that protect women that are victims of physical or psychological abuse. A majority of Iranian women admit to having experienced violence from their father or male relatives and later in life from their husband and his family. The concept of spousal rape is not recognized by the law.
The population sex ratio in Iran is over 1, perhaps implying that there may be an occurrence of missing women. There is a general preference for sons as they are in a better position to strengthen the household financially as they grow older.
Civil Liberties
Women’s freedom of movement is not restricted per se. Still, the extent to which a woman can move freely outside the household in practice often depends on her husband. To various degrees, the tradition of purdah also limits women’s right to move around independently. Women need their husband’s permission to travel outside the country.
Women do not enjoy Freedom of dress: they are obliged by law to wear a veil (hijab) in public. This also extends to Iran’s religious minorities and foreign female visitors. Most women also wear a long cloak (chador).
Ownership Rights
There are no legal restrictions on women’s access to land or property other than land. Data on land and property ownership (particularly disaggregated by gender) are scarce. Various reports, however, indicate that the number of female land and property owners is fairly low due to social and cultural norms, but still higher than in neighbouring countries.
Similarly, women do not face legal discrimination in their access to bank loans and other forms of credit. Nevertheless, women’s lack of collateral (usually in the form of land) is limited and banks often view them as higher credit risks than men.
In the news
- AFP 14.06.2010 : Iran president 'strongly' opposes crackdown on women, youth
- The New York Times 07.06.2010 : Iran: Retail Bank Opens Branch for Women Only, First in Country
Sources
- Amnesty International, Iran: Authorities thwart campaign for gender equality, www.amnesty.org.
- Amnesty International (2007), Discrimination, arrest and imprisonment: the struggle for women’s rights in Iran, AI Index: ACT 60/006/2007.
- Feminist Majority Foundation, Iranian Women Win Better Child Custody Rights, www.feminist.org.
- Hoodfar, H. (1999), The Women’s Movement in Iran: Women at the Croosroads of Secularization and Islamization.
- IRIN (2005), Humanitarian news and analysis, UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, Middle East: FGM still largely an unknown quantity in Arab world, Nairobi, 1 March 2005, www.irinnews.org.
- Klasen, K. and C. Wink (2003), “Missing Women”: Revisiting the Debate, Feminist Economics 1/2003, Volume 9, Issue 2-3.
- Moghadam, V. (2003), Towards Gender Equality in the Arab/Middle East Region: Islam, Culture and Feminist Activism, background paper for HDR 2004.
- OECD (2006), The Gender, Institutions and Development Database, www.oecd.org/dev/gender/gid.
- Uhlman K, (2004), Overview of Shari’a and Prevalent Customs in Islamic Societies - Divorce and Child Custody, Expert Law, www.expertlaw.com.
- United Nations (2004), Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division, World Fertility Report, New York.
- Women’s Forum Against Fundamentalism in Iran (WFAFI), www.wfafi.org.
The Women, Business and the Law
Where are laws equal for men and women? 
The Women, Business and the Law report presents indicators based on laws and regulations affecting women's prospects as entrepreneurs and employees. Several of these indicators draw on the Gender Law Library, a collection of over 2,000 legal provisions impacting women's economic status. This report does not seek to judge or rank countries, but to provide information to inform discussions about women’s economic rights. Covering 128 economies, Women, Business and the Law provides data covering 6 areas: accessing institutions,using property, getting a job, dealing with taxes, building credit, and going to court.Read more about the methodology.
For detailed information on Iran, please visit the Women, Business and
the Law Iran page.
