Human Rights Watch Criticizes Unequal Conditions for Iranian Women

Human Rights Watch criticized the discrimination and obstacles faced by women in Iran in society and the labor market. This international, non-governmental organization advocating for human rights urged the Islamic Republic to reform its laws and social conditions to eliminate these barriers. The comprehensive report by Human Rights Watch published on Wednesday, May 24, titled 'This is a Male Gathering,' states that women in Iran 'face a series of legal and social barriers that not only limit their lives but also their livelihoods, resulting in severe economic inequality in their lives.' According to Human Rights Watch, although women 'constitute over 50 percent of university graduates,' their labor force participation rate is 'only 17 percent.' Previously, a 2015 Global Gender Gap report by the World Economic Forum ranked Iran among the bottom five countries in terms of gender equality (141 out of 145). Human Rights Watch identified one of the inequalities against women in Iran as 'economic participation' and added that there are 'significant disparities at all levels of the economic hierarchy, and the presence of women in high government positions and managerial roles in the private sector is minimal compared to their population.' This vast gap in labor market participation in Iran occurs while 'Iranian officials have widely violated women's social and economic rights.' Human Rights Watch emphasizes that the Islamic Republic 'has enacted and enforced numerous discriminatory laws and regulations that limit women's participation in the labor market, and the government not only fails to stop discriminatory hiring practices in the public and private sectors but sometimes actively promotes them.' The report concludes by calling for the Islamic Republic to 'adopt a comprehensive law to combat discrimination to eliminate all existing discriminatory regulations in the current legal framework and to establish regulations to support equality for women in the labor market.' The Islamic Republic of Iran, whose laws are largely based on Islamic Sharia, is accused by governments and international organizations, including the United Nations, of human rights violations, particularly against women. Iranian officials typically deny such issues, although women and followers of religious and ethnic minorities are explicitly barred from holding certain jobs and responsibilities and face numerous restrictions compared to men and Muslims.