National Report on Violence Against Women 'Has Turned to Pulp'

Ashraf Boroujerdi, the social deputy of the Ministry of Interior during Mohammad Khatami's presidency, announced that 32 volumes containing the results of the national study on forms of domestic violence against women during Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's presidency and Zahra Tabibzadeh Nouri's leadership at the Women's and Family Affairs Center have turned to 'pulp.' However, Zahra Tabibzadeh Nouri stated on Tuesday, December 10, without directly referencing these remarks, that 'no documented research' on violence against women has been conducted in the country. Shahindokht Molaverdi, the Vice President for Women and Family Affairs, reported on Friday, December 6, that the 32 volumes containing the mentioned research results have 'gone missing,' and no copies have been found 'in the Ministry of Interior or the Women's and Family Affairs Center.' According to Ms. Molaverdi, this project was carried out in Khatami's government across 28 provinces by the Ministry of Interior and universities throughout Iran, but during Ahmadinejad's presidency, these reports were 'set aside' and ultimately lost. Ashraf Boroujerdi stated on Sunday, December 9, that this research from 2006, during Zahra Tabibzadeh Nouri's presidency at the Women's and Family Affairs Center, 'turned to pulp.' He also noted that existing copies in the Ministry of Interior were 'destroyed.' According to ILNA news agency, he remarked that this incident recalls the 'book burnings of the Abbasid era,' adding, 'I have kept a copy of this research in my personal library.' Zahra Tabibzadeh Nouri, the former head of the Women's and Family Affairs Center, reiterated on Tuesday that 'no documented research' on violence against women has been conducted in the country, noting that definitions of violence in 'religious culture' differ significantly from 'Western culture.' According to the House of Representatives news agency, this Tehran representative added, 'In our country, a woman's obedience to her husband regarding permission for travel from the man is part of the laws, whereas in the West, this issue is considered a form of violence against women.' Fatemeh Alia, a Tehran representative, also stated on Sunday, December 9, that 'Islam does not consider a woman's inability to leave the house without her husband's consent as violence, while the West views this as violence against women.' The women's security document in Rouhani's government has 'remained pending.' Zahra Tabibzadeh Nouri also mentioned in an interview with Tasnim news agency that the women's security document was approved in the eighth parliament but has been 'pending' in the government. Shahindokht Molaverdi reported on December 7 that the women's and children's security document is being drafted. She stated, 'The government was obligated to draft this document, but the relevant agency was not identified, and no work was done. Ultimately, following last year's review, the Ministry of Interior was assigned to draft this document, which is currently in progress.' Fahimeh Farahmandpour, an advisor to the Minister of Interior on women and family affairs, also stated on February 22, 2014, that the draft of the women's and children's security document had 'serious flaws.' The spokesperson for the Legal and Judicial Commission of the Iranian Parliament stated on December 6 that the rate of death from violence among women aged 15 to 44 in Iran is 'equal to' the rate of death from cancer, but at the same time, 'less than 35 percent' of domestic violence cases in the country are reported to the police.