One in Three Women in Tehran Exposed to Violence

An official from Iran's Welfare Organization announced that based on research conducted in Tehran province, which he claims has the best conditions for women compared to other parts of the country, one in three women is exposed to violence. ISNA news agency reported this on Wednesday (November 29) citing the Deputy for the Prevention of Social Damages at the Welfare Organization of Iran. Farid Barati stated at the second national conference on the prevention of violence against women at Qazvin University of Medical Sciences that 'we do not have accurate information and statistics on this matter, as many women do not report the violence they experience.' Barati criticized that 'some aspects of violence' against women in Iran are 'ignored' and added that 'if we look realistically, part of our society consists of sex workers.' He noted that 'the problems of women engaged in sex work in the country are not seen anywhere; they are actually a hidden population that we do not legally and religiously accept, but their presence in society has effects and consequences.' The Deputy for the Prevention of Social Damages at the Welfare Organization further mentioned that violence and sexual abuse of women in the workplace are also 'not seen in research, and most studies conducted are part of student or academic research.' He announced the initiation of a nationwide research project to establish a social damage monitoring system called 'Saraj,' which has been piloted among the general population in 22 districts of Tehran. Based on the results of this research, Barati stated that '27% of the women surveyed in Tehran had experienced some form of violence, about 6% reported sexual violence, and 8% mentioned emotional and psychological violence.' This official from the Welfare Organization declared that 'most' violence against women in Tehran is 'psychological' and added that in this city, 'one in three women has experienced violence.' He noted that the level of violence against women in some provinces is 'higher' than in Tehran due to cultural reasons and stated that 'culturally and under other conditions, the status of women in Tehran is much better than in other parts of the country.' Barati described violence against women in Iran as 'derived from a masculine and patriarchal culture' and added that to combat violence against women, cultural change is necessary, and this issue should be considered in public education. Statistics published in January 2017 by forensic officials in Tehran show that in that year, spousal abuse was the main reason for Tehran citizens' referrals to forensic medicine after accidents and street fights. According to the Tehran forensic report, an average of 52 cases of spousal abuse are reported to this organization daily. Meanwhile, in December 2014, Mohammad Ali Esfahani, spokesperson for the Legal and Judicial Commission of the Islamic Consultative Assembly, stated that only 'less than 35% of domestic violence in Iran is reported to the police.' According to Esfahani, based on the results of one study, out of 180 complaints by women against domestic violence, 128 cases were not pursued for various reasons 'due to lack of interest in legal action.' Despite the high level of violence against women in Iran, the Deputy for Legal Affairs of the Judiciary has opposed the bill to combat violence against women proposed by the government. Zabihullah Khodaiyan, Deputy for Legal Affairs of the Judiciary, announced on August 24 that the bill to combat violence against women 'is drafted solely from a gender perspective.' According to Khodaiyan, 70 out of 100 articles in the bill have 'criminal descriptions' and 'even provides imprisonment for the smallest tension between spouses.'