In Iran only 12% of women are employed, and 52% of those employed have unofficial jobs, marking the highest unemployment rate since 2005.
In the political arena, women hold less than a fifth of positions. It is noteworthy to state, only women who hold the interests of the Supreme Leader higher than women’s rights and justice, can enter the political realm.
During women’s protests and demands to enter sports stadiums and attend national volleyball matches last year, which led to the arrest of 50 women, Fatemeh Alia, a member of the Iranian regime’s parliament, stated, …
“The role of women is to bare children, raise the children and take care of their husbands.” Alia is instrumental in imposing limitations on women entering the workforce.
It was this mentality which led Fatemeh Alia to sign a bill in October 2014 settings guidelines for employers in hiring women. Violating these regulations can lead to a one-week to one-month closure of any institute. According to this bill, hiring women is allowed only under the circumstance where there will be no mixture with men in the work place. Other female MPs such as Zohreh Tayebzadeh, Nayereh Akhavan-Bitaraf and Laleh Eftekhari also co-signed the bill along with Alia.
Previously, Tehran’s municipality had banned women from holding positions as office managers, operators, secretaries and other positions in this body. At the same time the head of the regional police banned women from working in coffee shops. Finally the parliament intervened to impose regulations, or in other words limit women’s rights in employment.
According to article 34 of the regime’s Labor Laws, discrimination based on age, gender, race, ethnicity and political or religious beliefs is banned. Principles 2, 3, 19, 28 and 14 of the constitution consider it the duty of the government to lift any form of discrimination and provide equal facilities for the general public. However, the reality of the Iranian regime is quite different.
On 25 September 2014, Jafar Sobhani stated, “One of the sources of insubordination and corruption in society is the presence of women and their social activities. Women’s absence in social activities will lead to their presence in their households and the center of the family.”
On 11 March 2015, Mohsen Ghera’ati stated, “The main role of a woman is to be housewives, take care of their husbands, give birth and raise children. If they want to be active in the social realm it must be with proper clothing and without presenting oneself.”
(State-run Javan Reporters Club – March 27, 2015)
