In Iran, women face systemic discrimination enshrined in the country’s legal framework. The Iranian regime has implemented and enforced a series of oppressive policies that violate women’s rights, ranging from compulsory hijab laws to forced pregnancies, restrictions on abortion, child marriages, domestic violence, and femicide.
This report explores these issues, highlighting how Iranian women are subjected to some of the most repressive laws in the world. We delve into these laws’ impact on women’s lives in Iran.
The Misogynistic Laws of the Iranian Regime
The Iranian regime has a long history of enacting laws that suppress women’s rights. One such law is the “Family Protection and Youth Population Growth Act,” passed on October 16, 2021, and enacted by the regime’s now deceased President Ebrahim Raisi on November 19, 2021.
This law aims to increase the population by encouraging childbirth, often at the expense of women’s health and autonomy. Under this law, medical professionals who repeatedly perform abortions are labeled as “enemies of God,” a charge that carries severe penalties.
The law also prohibits therapeutic abortions for fetuses over four months old, even in cases where the pregnancy endangers the mother’s health, or the fetus is severely malformed.
Additionally, all healthcare facilities and laboratories are required to record and report information on pregnant women, especially those who seek abortions, ensuring that the state can monitor and potentially punish them.
Forced Pregnancy and Restrictions on Contraception
Recent reports from women aged 25 to 35 in Iran confirm the existence of a “policing behavior” in healthcare centers regarding pregnancy. These women report that healthcare professionals are pressured to promote pregnancy and discourage contraceptive use. The situation is even more dire in impoverished rural areas like Ghal’e Ganj in southeastern Iran.
A health worker from this region revealed that three years ago, local authorities ordered her to stop teaching contraception methods, remove all contraceptive supplies, and promote only “healthy pregnancies.” When she raised concerns about the economic hardships faced by these families, she was threatened with reassignment to a remote border region between Kerman and Sistan-Baluchestan provinces, areas known for their harsh living conditions.
Experts describe the “Family Protection and Youth Population Growth Act” as one of the most discriminatory laws against women in Iran. This law offers financial incentives to encourage childbirth, including grants for investing in the stock market, increased housing loans, and priority access to government-subsidized goods. However, these promises have largely gone unfulfilled, and they have not swayed many women.
The law also bans the distribution of contraceptives and prohibits doctors from recommending their use. Even genetic screening to prevent the birth of children with congenital disabilities has been restricted, though not entirely eliminated. The regime’s goal appears to be forcing women to have as many children as possible, regardless of their circumstances or the potential impact on their health.
Child Marriage: A Tragic Reality
Child marriage is another grave issue in Iran, where girls can be legally married off at a very young age, often without their consent. The “Family Protection and Youth Population Growth Act” explicitly encourages child marriage, particularly in rural and impoverished areas. Many young girls are forced into marriage by their fathers, often to men much older than them. These girls are robbed of their childhoods and face severe physical and psychological trauma due to early pregnancies and the responsibilities of married life.
In the northeastern city of Mashhad, 10-year-old girls have been pulled out of school to marry men they do not know. These girls often suffer from severe health issues due to complications during childbirth, and some are left permanently disabled. The root cause of this practice is the deepening poverty in Iran, which drives families to marry off their daughters in exchange for financial relief.
The Plight of Iranian Women in Cross-Border Marriages
Another alarming issue is the lack of legal protection for Iranian women married to foreign nationals. These marriages often involve the sale of young girls to men from neighboring countries like Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Iraq.
These marriages are rarely legally registered, leaving the women and their children without legal rights or citizenship. Many of these men are either deported or killed in conflicts, leaving their wives as young widows with no means of support. The Iranian regime does not recognize these children as Iranian citizens, leaving them stateless and without access to basic rights.
Iranian women are subjected to some of the most oppressive laws in the world, laws that strip them of their autonomy, dignity, and basic human rights. From forced hijab and pregnancy to child marriage and statelessness, the Iranian regime’s legal framework is deeply entrenched in misogyny. The international community must recognize the severity of these violations and advocate for the rights of Iranian women, who continue to suffer under a regime that denies them justice and equality.
