World Bank: Women's Wages in Iran Are Only One-Third of Men's

The World Bank states that women's wages in Iran are less than one-third of men's, a figure that places Iran only ahead of Saudi Arabia and Sudan. In a report on the status of laws and rights regarding gender equality in the workplace, it notes that Iran ranks among the worst in 187 countries, following Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Sudan. This report, titled 'Women, Business and the Law, 2019,' was published on Wednesday, March 8. Iran's score in this regard is 31.25, while the global average score is approximately 74.71. In other words, women globally earn an average of three-quarters of men's wages in the business sector. Even countries like the Democratic Republic of Congo in Africa and Uzbekistan in Asia have a better situation than Iran, with scores above 70. The index of equality in women's work rights compared to men's is determined based on several components: - Do women have the same rights as men to relocate and choose their place of residence, leave home, obtain a passport, and travel abroad for work? - Do women have the same conditions as men to start a job, engage in business, protect themselves from sexual harassment, or benefit from laws for their protection against sexual harassment? - Do women receive equal pay for equal work as men, and is there gender equality in employment across various industrial sectors and night shifts? - Do women have the same conditions as men for independent decision-making, the right to divorce, remarry, and family custody? - Do women receive at least 14 weeks of maternity leave with continued pay and government financial assistance for childbirth and newborn care? - Do women have the same rights as men to own and manage real estate (houses, properties, etc.)? Is the inheritance share equal for daughters and sons? - Do women have the same retirement benefits as men? The World Bank's archives indicate that in the past decade in Iran, only the right for women to leave the workplace with continued pay and government financial assistance has improved, with Iran's score rising from 28.75 between 2009 and 2014 to 31.25 between 2015 and 2019. Aside from this, all other mentioned aspects of gender equality in the workplace in the Islamic Republic have remained unchanged and have not progressed. Meanwhile, the World Bank states that the status of gender equality in work rights for men and women globally has significantly improved in 131 countries over the past decade. The World Bank's archives show that the current status of gender equality in work rights for Iranian men and women is even much worse than the global average in 2009. The World Bank's new report also notes that ten years ago, the global average score for gender equality in the workplace was 70. In the entire Middle East, the most progress has been made in three areas: starting work, marriage, and utilizing maternity leave benefits with continued pay. Countries like Belgium, Denmark, France, Lithuania, Luxembourg, and Sweden top the list of 187 countries with a perfect score of 100 regarding gender equality in work rights.