Unemployment Looms for Female Farmers in the South; Employers Prefer to Hire 'Illegal Immigrants'

One of Iran's news agencies has reported an imminent unemployment threat for female farmers in the south, describing their conditions as exacerbated by low wages, health issues, drought risks, and some farmers' preference for hiring illegal immigrants. According to the report by Khabar Online, female farmers in southern regions have long faced various challenges, including low wages, unsafe roads, and water crises. A female worker in the port of Dayyer told the news agency, 'In some areas, they may lose their lives on the way to the agricultural lands, which are also dangerous routes.' The report emphasized that most female farmers are housewives whose husbands' incomes are insufficient for living. Mahta Bazrafkan, described by the media as a 'development sociology researcher,' stated that the number of Afghan immigrants in the region has increased, and part of these daily wage jobs has been assigned to them. This researcher further added, 'Employers prefer to hire illegal immigrants and give them a small space to perform the work for very low wages. They are paid 12 million tomans for 15 hours of daily work.' According to Bazrafkan, women generally spend this income on their children, health, and education, and with the reduction of women's activities, these expenses will also cease. Experts believe that unemployment among women will soon affect female farmers as well, which could lead to an increase in women's unemployment statistics. The newspaper 'Donya-e-Eqtesad' reported in April of this year that '89 percent of women in Iran are unemployed.' This report was met with a reaction from the government's news agency, which stated, 'An examination of the statistics from Iran's Center shows that only 15.6 percent of the active female population is unemployed.' However, Donya-e-Eqtesad questioned the statistics from the 'Statistical Center,' stating that 'educated individuals who have searched for suitable jobs for so long that they have officially given up searching are not counted in the employment statistics.' The report noted that over 40 percent of the unemployed in the country have higher education, and only about 11 percent of the economic participation rate consists of women, meaning about 89 percent of women over 15 years old in Iran are unemployed. The website 'Eko Iran' analyzed these conditions, stating, 'Issues such as patriarchal culture, norms, and prevailing values in society have led to a low participation rate of women.'