Violence Against Women in Iran: From 'Patriarchal Laws' to 'Societal Poverty'

For over 15 years, November 25 (Azar 4) has been designated as the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, with not only the United Nations but also governments announcing their programs for this day. According to the latest statistics from the United Nations, 35% of women and girls worldwide have experienced some form of physical or sexual violence in their lifetime. Additionally, it is estimated that 30 million girls under the age of 15 are at risk of female genital mutilation, and 130 million girls and women worldwide have undergone such procedures. Furthermore, 250 million women globally were married before the age of 15 as children. The UN has stated that the adverse effects of widespread violence against women will continue for generations, declaring it a dangerous global epidemic. Parvin Bakhtiarnejad, a women's rights activist residing in France, attributes the widespread domestic violence in Iran to patriarchal laws supported by the Islamic Republic. However, in Iran, the search for official statistics on violence against women leads only to a study conducted between 2001 and 2004 across 28 provinces, which shows that 66% of Iranian households have experienced domestic violence. This research, a joint project between the Women's Participation Affairs Center and the Social Deputy of the Ministry of Interior in collaboration with the Ministry of Science, determined that the first year of marriage and middle age are the most violent periods in women's lives. Bakhtiarnejad emphasizes that laws enacted by the Islamic Consultative Assembly over the past three decades typically grant special rights to men, such as polygamy, control over financial resources, and the requirement for women's work to be approved by men. Women's sexual compliance is regarded as a unilateral right for men in the laws. As a result, these special rights recognized in various laws have exacerbated different forms of violence, which many men perceive as their entitlement and do not consider inhumane behavior. Mojgan Kahan notes that women over the age of 50 sometimes experience identity crises, suggesting that they may enter a new phase of life as their children grow up and leave. This change allows them to resist more easily, potentially leading to increased violence from their partners. While many Iranian women do not recognize being pushed or kicked as domestic violence, a national study on domestic violence across 28 provinces published by ISNA indicates that persistent excuses from men are the most common form of violence against women. Yelling, bad temper, sulking, using vulgar language, slamming doors, disrupting meals, throwing dining tables, slapping, and inflicting psychological pressure through authoritarian behavior are among the most common types of violence reported by respondents from the beginning of their cohabitation. According to this report, illiterate women are the most frequent victims of domestic violence, and women in their first year of marriage and those aged 55 to 59 endure the highest levels of violence. While some analysts believe that issues related to menopause and the lack of education about the crises of this period are among the main reasons for increased violence at this age, Mojgan Kahan, a sexologist residing in Belgium, points to other factors. She states that psychologists indicate that identity crises can lead to critical states in both women and men, affecting their relationships with others. Bakhtiarnejad adds that one of the main forms of violence against women in Iran is state violence, exercised through laws and their enforcement in women's daily lives. Based on this research, Zahedan ranks highest in indicators of violence against women, with severe injuries from domestic violence, such as bruising, loose teeth, broken limbs, and threats of abandonment or suicide. The report indicates that Baloch women endure the highest levels of violence. Bakhtiarnejad attributes this to societal poverty, noting that 35% of self-supporting women in Iran are from Balochistan. Consequently, issues of poverty, illiteracy, and lack of higher education create conditions where these women constitute the highest percentage of violence victims. Baloch women often marry at very young ages, making them more vulnerable to violence due to their inability to defend their individual rights. Ban Ki-moon, the UN Secretary-General, has proposed a campaign for the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, encouraging people to wear orange on November 25. Despite a decade since the publication of this report on violence against women, it was only last month that the Vice President for Women and Family Affairs announced a proposal to establish a reference for the protection and support of women, which is set to be reviewed by the government’s social commission. However, it seems that the motivation for this proposal is not the examination of violence against women but rather the social wave that emerged following acid attacks on women in Isfahan. Sudeh Rad, a women's rights activist residing in Paris, states that one of the main forms of violence against women in Iran is state violence, exercised through laws and their enforcement in women's daily lives. Currently, there are two proposals regarding violence against women, which interestingly indicate that the government recognizes women as being in a defensible position. Even based on the laws they have established, which claim that women are equal to men in Islam or the laws of the Islamic Republic, they still feel compelled to implement new proposals to defend the lost rights and even the physical integrity of women.