Many Female Workers in Iran Receive 'One Third of the Minimum Wage'

The advisor to the Iranian Minister of Industry, Mine and Trade states that although legally the wages of female and male workers should be equal, in practice, 'in many cases, women are paid less than one third of the minimum wage.' According to the Iranian Labor News Agency, ILNA, Soheila Jelodarzadeh emphasized on Sunday, June 31, that 'the gap must be reduced by increasing job opportunities and supporting female workers, as well as increasing inspections by the Ministry of Labor, Welfare and Social Affairs to establish justice between women and men.' Ali Rabiei, the Minister of Cooperatives, Labor, and Social Welfare of Iran, also stated on Saturday, February 18, 2015, that women's wages are generally not respected in Iranian workplaces and they are usually employed at lower wages than men. Mr. Rabiei reported on Saturday, April 22, that the unemployment rate for women is double that of men, and 'women's work has become more seasonal.' Meanwhile, Masoud Nili, the economic advisor to the President of Iran, has also emphasized that women's share in industrial employment is 'very low.' This is while women's share in higher education is increasing. According to a report from the Statistical Center of Iran, the highest share of women's employment in 2013 was in the services sector, and the lowest was in agriculture and industry. Previously, Ahmed Shaheed, the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in Iran, also reported that women constitute only 16% of Iran's workforce and noted that 'there are no real signs of improvement in women's participation in Iran's labor market.' In another part of her speech, Ms. Jelodarzadeh stated that according to statistics, the number of female workers covered by social insurance has decreased from about 300,000 in recent years to currently '100,000.' Her statements come as she had previously reported on November 7, 2014, with different statistics, stating: 'In the past, we had about 1.9 million working women covered by social insurance, which has now decreased to 1.3 million.' Meanwhile, Ali Rabiei, the Minister of Cooperatives, Labor, and Social Welfare, reported in May 2014 that 2.2 million women workers across the country are covered by social insurance.