THE PLAN ON WOMEN’S RIGHTS AND FREEDOMS
In 1987, the National Council of Resistance (NCRI) unanimously adopted a plan for the rights and freedoms of women in Iran. In March 2010, Maryam Rajavi presented the perspectives of the Iranian Resistance in this respect during a meeting held at the European Parliament titled “Women Pioneer Democratic Change in Iran.”
A – Principles:
First: Abolishing and eliminating all forms of oppression, coercion, and discrimination imposed on Iranian women by the mullahs’ reactionary regime and their Sharia law. Adhering to all freedoms and rights of women as stipulated in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, and the Declaration on the Elimination of Violence Against Women, which were approved by the United Nations General Assembly in December 1993.
Second: Emphasizing complete equality of social, political, cultural, and economic rights between men and women.
Third: Ensuring the complete provision of women’s rights in the country, without regard to any unequal and discriminatory practices or limitations and rejecting any perception that views women as commodities.
B. The most important articles on women’s rights and freedoms in the free Iran of tomorrow:
1. The right to elect and be elected in all elections and the right to suffrage in all referendums.
2. The right to employment and free choice of profession, and the right to hold any public or government position, office, or profession, including the presidency (as well as political leadership) and judgeship in all judicial institutions.
3. The right to free political and social activity, social intercourse, and travel without the permission of another person.
4. The right to freely choose their clothing and attire.
5. The right to use, without discrimination, all instructional, educational, athletic, and artistic resources; and the right to participate in all athletic competitions and artistic activities.
6. Recognition of women’s associations and support for their voluntary formation throughout the country; consideration of special privileges in various social, administrative, cultural, and particularly educational fields in order to abolish inequality and the dual oppression of women.
7. Equal pay for equal work; prohibition of discrimination in hiring and during employment; equal access to various privileges such as vacations, retirement benefits, and disability compensations; enjoyment of child and marital benefits and unemployment insurance; the right to salary and special accommodations during pregnancy, childbirth, and infant care.
8. Absolute freedom in the choice of spouse and marriage, which can take place only with the consent of both sides and registered with legal authority; Marriage before attainment of the legal age is prohibited. In family life, any form of compulsion or coercion of the wife is prohibited.
9. Same right to divorce as men; divorce proceedings should be handled by qualified judicial authorities; child custody and support, as well as financial settlements, will be determined by the verdict of the divorce proceedings.
10. Support for widowed and divorced women and for children in their custody; care will be provided through the National Social Welfare System.
11. Elimination of legal inequalities regarding testimony, guardianship, custody, and inheritance. Polygamy is prohibited.
12. Prohibition of all forms of sexual exploitation of women under any pretext and abrogation of all customs, laws, and provisions allowing the father, mother, guardian, or another to give away a girl or a woman for marriage or other reasons.
Obviously, these principles, rights, and freedoms are not solely focused on women’s emancipation but also on the historical emancipation of Iranian men and women together.
