IRAN

MENA Gender Equality Profile

Status of Girls and Women in the
Middle East and North Africa

1. Background
Demographics

Value

Year

Total population (000)

74,196

2009

Total adolescent (10-19) population (000)

13,301

2009

Total under-18 population (000)

22,221

2009

Total under-5 population (000)

6,555

2009

Population annual growth rate (%)

1.3

2000-2009

Total fer tility r ate (b irths per wom an)

1.8

2009

Under-five mortality rate

(per 1000 live births)

31

2009

Lebanon

0.6084

116

0.6059

117

0.6052

119

Gender Gap Index 2010

Rankings of MENA countries
with available data

Score

Rank

United Arab Emirates

0.6397

103

Kuwait

0.6318

105

Tunisia

0.6266

107

Bahrain

0.6217

110

Life expectancy at birth (years), male

70

2009

Qatar

Life expectancy at birth (years), female

73

2009

Algeria

Singulate mean age at marriage, male

26

2006

Jordan

0.6048

120

2006

Oman

0.5950

122

Iran (Islamic Republic of)

0.5933

123

Singulate mean age at marriage, female

24

Economic indicators
GNI per capita (current US$)

4,520

2009

Syrian Arab Republic

0.5926

124

Egypt

0.5899

125

% share of income held by lowest 20 %

2005

% share of income held by highest 20 %

45

2005

Sources: UNICEF, The State of the Worlds

Children 2011. Life expectancy and economic indicators from The World
Bank, Data Catalog, http://data.worldbank.org/, [accessed in June 2011]
Marriage data from UNPD, World Marriage Data 2008,
www.un.org/esa/population/

Morocco

0.5767

127

Saudi Arabia

0.5713

129

Yemen

0.4603

134

Source: World Economic Forum, The Global Gender Gap

Report 2010 (rankings of in total 134 countries)

2. LegaL Framework
Legal system. According to the constitution, Islamic law (Sharia) is the only source of legislation in Iran. The vast
majority of the population of Iran is Shiite Muslim and a smaller proportion is Sunni Muslim. The two groups adhere
to different schools of Sharia and the laws differ in some respects, for example with regard to inheritance rights.
For recognized religious minorities, which include Christians, Jews, and Zoroastrians, the communities own laws
are applied in matters of personal status. Rules such as sex segregation in certain public spaces and dress codes
for women, such as the mandatory use of veiling (hijab), apply to citizens of all religions. Before a court, a woman
is not considered a full person. In most cases a womans testimony is worth half of a mans and in some cases a
womans testimony is not accepted at all.1
Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women. In 2003, the Iranian parliament
ratified the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) but the Guardian
Council2 vetoed the ratification and the matter is still awaiting consideration by the Expediency Council.3 Iran and
Sudan are the only two countries in the MENA region that have not ratified the CEDAW.
Convention on the Rights of the Child. Iran ratified the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) in 1994 with a
general reservation against all provisions or articles of the Convention that are incompatible with Islamic Laws
and the international legislation in effect.4 Iran acceded to the Optional Protocol to the CRC on the sale of children,
child prostitution and child pornography in 2007 and is a signatory to the Optional Protocol to the CRC on the
involvement of children in armed conflict since 2010.
1 Freedom House, Womens Rights in the Middle East and North Africa 2010 (report, online version, www.freedomhouse.org)
2 The Guardian Council has the authority to determine whether the laws passed by the parliament are in accordance with Sharia and the Expediency Council has the authority to mediate disputes between
the parliament and the Guardian Council, see Hauser Global Law School Program, New York University School of Law, GlobaLex, Foreign Law Research, (electronic publication, www.nyulawglobal.org/
Globalex) [accessed in June 2011]
3 Freedom House, Womens Rights in the Middle East and North Africa 2010 (report, online version, www.freedomhouse.org)
4 See United Nations Treaty Collection (http://treaties.un.org) for declarations and reservations made by State Parties

Nationality rights. An Iranian woman married to a foreign man is not allowed to pass on her nationality to their
children. A childs nationality is determined by the nationality of his or her father. According to the CRC Committee,
as a consequence, a large number of children with Iranian mothers and Afghan fathers do not have a birth certificate
or a nationality.5 There are also children of Iranian mothers and Iraqi fathers that are in the same situation.6 While an
Iranian man can transfer his nationality to a non-Iranian spouse, an Iranian woman is not allowed to do so.7
Divorce rights. A man who wants to divorce his wife must go through a family court and its procedures. A woman
can seek divorce under certain specific circumstances. In order for a divorce to be granted, she must prove injury
and prove that continuing the marriage would cause her harm. There is also a possibility for a woman to seek
divorce without the burden of evidence, but she will then forfeit any financial rights. For this option to be possible
the husband has to concede to the divorce.8
Guardianship and custody rights. The father is the lawful guardian of the children. In the event of divorce the
mother may be granted custody until the boy or girl reaches the age of 7, after which the custody goes to the
father.9 According to the State party communication with the CRC Committee in 2004, the mother is the preferred
custodian during the first 7 years of the childs life.10 Although the mother may be granted custody upon a divorce,
the father will remain the lawful guardian of the children. In case the father dies, guardianship will be granted to
the paternal grandfather of the child.11
Inheritance rights. Women have the right to inherit, but will inherit a smaller share than a man. As mentioned
above, the interpretation of Sharia law differs between Sunnis and Shias, thus the inheritance rules are somewhat
different for each group.12
Freedom of movement. Womens freedom of movement is restricted in several ways. For a woman to obtain a
passport and travel abroad her husbands written consent is required. A married woman does not have the freedom
to choose her residence (this is decided by the husband), nor does she have the freedom to go outside of the house
without her husbands consent. In addition, sex segregation in several public spaces also limits womens freedom
of movement.13
Protection from child marriage. The minimum age of marriage is 13 for girls and 15 for boys. Permission to marry
below this age can be obtained from a court by the girls or boys father.14 Data on the prevalence of child marriage
in Iran do not exist in the UNICEF global database. Polygyny, although legal, is not a common practice according
to the 2010 Freedom House report Womens Rights in the Middle East and North Africa.
Protection from gender-based violence. There is no specific law against domestic violence in Iran. Rape is a
crime subject to strict penalties, including the death penalty. Four male witnesses, or three male and two female
witnesses, are required to convict someone of rape.15 The concept of marital rape is not recognized by the law and
it is not seen as a crime. Honour killings do occur in Iran and the penal code allows a man to murder his wife on
the basis of adultery. The penalty for adultery is death by stoning. According to the 2010 Freedom House report,
this penalty is used occasionally in Iran.16

5 Committee on the Rights of the Child, Consideration of reports submitted by states parties under article 44 of the convention Concluding observations: The Islamic Republic of Iran, CRC/C/15/Add.254, 2005
6 Information provided by UNICEF Iran
7 Freedom House, Womens Rights in the Middle East and North Africa 2010 (report, online version, www.freedomhouse.org)
8 Ibid.
9 Ibid.
10 Committee on the Rights of the Child, Written replies by the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran concerning the list of issues (CRC/C/Q/IRN/2) received by the Committee on the Rights of the Child
relating to the consideration of the second periodic report of the Islamic Republic of Iran (CRC/C/104/Add.3), CRC/C/RESP/71, 2004
11 Information provided by UNICEF Iran (from Chapter 3 of the Iranian Civil Code)
12 Freedom House, Womens Rights in the Middle East and North Africa 2010 (report, online version, www.freedomhouse.org)
13 Ibid.
14 Ibid.
15 U.S. Department of State, 2010 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices (report, online version http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/hrrpt/) [accessed in August 2011]
16 Freedom House, Womens Rights in the Middle East and North Africa 2010 (report, online version, www.freedomhouse.org)

3. inStitutionS and mechaniSmS

Governmental response. There are a number of governmental organisations with the mandate to work on womens
affairs. Chief among these is the Centre for Women and Family Affairs, which is affiliated to the presidential office.
The responsibility of this organisation as stated on its website is to coordinate, plan and provide supportive services
and policy-making regarding womens and family affairs. The centre exists on the basis of a directive issued by
the president and the director is a member of the Government Council, though not minister. There are also other
governmental organisations that address womens affairs in one way or another, such as the Womens Social and
Cultural Council affiliated to the Cultural Revolution High Council as well as womens offices in most ministries.
The Centre for Women and Family Affairs and Womens Social and Cultural Council have counselling roles for the
government, but these organisations do not implement programmes or deliver services.17
Strategies and services responding to gender-based violence. The State Welfare Organisation (SWO) runs shelters
for girls escaping from home and children exposed to violence. There is also a hotline called the Social Emergency
Line provided by the SWO through which cases of domestic violence can be reported.18 In addition, there are NGOs
that offer legal advice and protection for battered women.19

4. womenS PoLiticaL ParticiPation

Political representation. Women gained the right to vote and stand for election in 1963.20 In the lower house of
parliament, women occupy only 8 of the 290 seats (3 per cent of the seats)21 and there are no legislated quotas
to increase womens representation in parliament. As of 2010 there is only one female minister. Women are not
allowed to hold leadership positions in the main organs of power, such as the Presidency and Supreme Leadership
of the country.22
Representation in the legal system. There are female legal professionals in Iran. After the establishment of the
Islamic Republic in 1979 women were not allowed to serve as judges. This rule has since been changed and women
can now serve as judges and as legal counsellors, but they are not allowed to issue and sign final verdicts.23

Civil society. Iran has an active and visible womens rights movement, despite a limiting environment. According
to the 2010 Freedom House report, many of the current laws are actually more conservative than the customary
practices in most of the Iranian society, with the exception of some groups (such as some tribal communities) and
some underdeveloped areas where the practices are more traditional. For this reason, womens rights activists
have made advocating for reform of discriminatory laws their top priority, including through the high profile One
Million Signatures Campaign to change such laws.

5. education and economic ParticiPation

Education. The youth literacy rate is 99 per cent for both young women and young men. The net enrolment ratio
in primary education is estimated by UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS) to be 100 per cent for girls and 99 per
cent for boys (estimates refer to 2007). Secondary school net enrolment ratios for girls and boys are not available
in the UIS database.
Access to financial credit. Iranian women have access to bank loans and other forms of financial credit. The consent of
their husband or male relative is not required.24
17 Information provided by UNICEF Iran, and from the Center for Women and Family Affairs website (www.women.gov.ir/en/pages/content.php?id=97 [accessed in June 2011])
18 Information provided by UNICEF Iran
19 Freedom House, Womens Rights in the Middle East and North Africa 2010 (report, online version, www.freedomhouse.org)
20 UNDP, Human Development Report 2007/2008
21 IPU, http://www.ipu.org/wmn-e/classif.htm (data updated as of 30 April 2011) [accessed in June 2011]
22 Freedom House, Womens Rights in the Middle East and North Africa 2010 (report, online version, www.freedomhouse.org)
23 Ibid.
24 Information provided by UNICEF Iran

Participation in the labour market. Only 32 per cent of women age 15 and above are actively engaging in the labour
market either by working or looking for work. Among men (age 15 and above) the corresponding rate is 73 per cent.
The global labour force participation rate of women is 52 per cent.25 Female youth participate in the labour market
to a much lesser extent than male youth. Among young men 15-24 years old the labour force participation rate is
51 per cent, while among female youth it is only 33 per cent. Although unemployment affects both young men and
women, gender disparities are marked (34 per cent of female youth are unemployed, compared to 20 per cent of
male youth, according to statistics from 2008). In Iran, a husband has the right to prevent his wife from taking a job
that is incompatible with the family interests or the dignity of himself or his wife, according to the 2010 Freedom
House report.

6. reProductive heaLth
Maternal health. Iran is categorized as on track towards improving maternal health (MDG5), according to analyses
of the reduction of the Maternal Mortality Ratio conducted by the Maternal Mortality Estimation Inter-agency Group
(MMEIG). Maternal mortality is estimated at 30 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births.26 According to data from
the Iranian Ministry of Health (from 2005), the antenatal care coverage (at least once) is 98 per cent. The coverage
in skilled attendance at delivery, which is one of the most critical interventions for safe motherhood, is also high
(97 per cent).
Early childbearing. In Iran, the adolescent birth rate is 31 births per 1,000 adolescent girls aged 1519.

7. key indicatorS on the Situation oF girLS and women

MATERNAL AND
NEWBORN HEALTH

YEAR

TOTAL

URBAN

RURAL

POOREST
20%

RICHEST
20%

Contraceptive
prevalence (%)

2005

79

Antenatal care coverage

at least once by skilled
personnel (%)

2005

98

Skilled attendant at
birth (doctor, nurse or
midwife) (%)

2005

97

Adolescent birth rate

(number of births per
1,000 girls aged 1519)

2006

31

Maternal Mortality Ratio

(adjusted) (maternal
deaths per 100,000
live births)

2008

30

Lifetime risk of maternal

death, 1 in:

2008

1500

SOURCE
SOWC 2011
UNICEF global
database/ Integrated
Monitoring and
Evaluation System
(IMES)/ Ministry of
Health Iran
UNICEF global
database/ Integrated
Monitoring and
Evaluation System
(IMES)/ Ministry of
Health Iran
UNFPA, UNPD,
MDG database
http://unstats.un.org
[accessed in June 2011]
WHO, UNICEF, UNFPA,
World Bank, Maternal
Mortality Estimation
Inter-agency Group
(MMEIG) / UNICEF
global database

25 United Nations, DESA, The Worlds Women 2010, p. 76

26 WHO, UNICEF, UNFPA and The World Bank, 2010, Trends in Maternal Mortality: 1990-2008 (Countries with MMR 100 in 1990 are categorized as on track if there has been 5.5% decline or more annually,
making progress if MMR has declined between 2% and 5.5%, making insufficient progress if MMR has declined less than 2% annually, and having no progress if there has been an annual increase in
MMR. Countries with MMR <100 in 1990 are not categorized)

EDUCATION

Net enrolment ratio

primary school (%)

MALE
%

YEAR

2007

Share of females among

teaching staf f (% )
in primary education

GENDER
PARITY INDEX
(F/M)

SOURCE

UIS, online database,

http://stats.uis.unesco.org
[accessed in September 2011],
UIS estimates

99

100

1.01

2008

99

99

YEAR

TOTAL

SOURCE

2008

63

UNESCO, Education for All Global

Monitoring Report 2011

Net enrolment ratio

secondary school (%)

Youth (15-24) literacy

rate (%)

FEMALE
%

Share of females among

teaching staf f (% )
in secondary education

UIS, online database,

http://stats.uis.unesco.org
[accessed in June 2011]

TOTAL

URBAN

RURAL

POOREST
20%

RICHEST
20%

% of women aged 2024 who were married/

in union before the age
of 18

Female genital
mutilation/cutting among
women 15-49 (%)

TOTAL

MALE

FEMALE

CHILD PROTECTION

YEAR

YEAR

% of children aged 514

engaged in child labour

SOURCE

SOURCE

ATTITUDES TOWARDS DOMESTIC

VIOLENCE

% WHO AGREE WITH AT LEAST ONE

SPECIFIED REASON

YEAR

Women (15-49) who think that a husband

is justified in hitting or beating his wife
under certain circumstances (%)

Adolescent girls (1519) who think that a

husband is justified in hitting or beating
his wife under certain circumstances (%)

HIV/AIDS

HIV prevalence among young people

(1524)

YEAR

TOTAL

MALE

FEMALE

2009

<0.1

<0.1

<0.1

% of young people (15-24) who have

comprehensive knowledge of HIV

USE OF ICT

YEAR

TOTAL

% of young women (15-24) who used a

computer during the last 12 months

% of young women (15-24) who used

the internet during the last 12 months

SOURCE

SOURCE

UNICEF global
database/ UNAIDS

SOURCE

WOMENS POLITICAL
PARTICIPATION

YEAR

TOTAL

Number of women in parliament

(single/ lower house)

2011

% women in parliament

2011

No

Legislated quotas for women for

single/ lower house (yes/no)

Quota type

n/a

Number of women in ministerial

positions

2010

% women in ministerial positions

2010

WOMENS ECONOMIC
PARTICIPATION

YEAR

TOTAL

Labour force participation rate (%),

male 15+

2009

73

Labour force participation rate (%),

female 15+

2009

32

Labour force participation rate (%),

male 15-24

2009

51

Labour force participation rate (%),

female 15-24

2009

33

Total unemployment rate (%),

male 15+

2008

SOURCE

IPU, http://www.ipu.org/wmn-e/classif.htm (data

updated as of 30 April 2011) [accessed in June
2011]

Iran is not listed in the The Quota Project

database on www.quotaproject.org [accessed
in June 2011*] which lists all countries with
legislated quotas

1
DAW/DESA, IPU, Women in Politics: 2010
(reflecting appointments up to 1 January 2010)

SOURCE

ILO, Key Indicators of the Labour Market (KILM),

6th Edition.
http://kilm.ilo.org Table 1a (ILO estimates),
[accessed in June 2011]

ILO, KILM, 6th Edition, Table 8a, [accessed in

June 2011]
Total unemployment rate (%),
female 15+

2008

17

Youth (15-24) unemployment

rate (%), male

2008

20
ILO, KILM, 6th Edition, Table 9, [accessed in
June 2011]

Youth (15-24) unemployment

rate (%), female

2008

34

10
8

MATERNITY LEAVE

YEAR

SOURCE

Maternity leave duration

2004-2009

90 days

% of wages paid in covered period

2004-2009

67

Provider of benefit

2004-2009

Social
security

United Nations Statistics Division,

http://unstats.un.org/unsd/demographic/
products/indwm/tab5g.htm#tech, Table 5g,
[accessed in June 2011]. Data compiled
between 2004-2009.

Notes:
The UNICEF global databases are available on www.childinfo.org
For indicator definitions and further information on data sources please see "Guide to MENA Gender Profiles"
n/a = not applicable

8. rati Fication oF treatieS

YEAR OF
SIGNATURE

YEAR OF
RATIFICATION,
ACCESSION (A),
SUCCESSION (S)

International Covenant on Economic, Social and

Cultural Rights (1966)

1968

1975

International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights

(1966)

1968

1975

TREATY

RESERVATIONS

Convention on the Political Rights of Women (1953)

Convention on Consent to Marriage, Minimum Age
for Marriage and Registration of Marriages (1962)

Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of

Discrimination against Women (1979)
Optional Protocol to the Convention on the
Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against
Women (1999)

Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989)

1991

1994

Amendment to article 43 (2) of the Convention on

the Rights of the Child (1995)

n/a

2001 Acceptance

Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights

of the Child on the involvement of children in
armed conflict (2000)

2010

Optional Protocol to the Convention on the

Rights of the Child on the sale of children, child
prostitution and child pornography (2000)

Convention on the Rights of Persons with

Disabilities (2006)

n/a = not applicable

Source: United Nations Treaty Collection, http://treaties.un.org[accessed in May 2011]

Upon ratification: "The

Government of the Islamic
Republic of Iran reserves
the right not to apply any
provisions or articles of
the Convention that are
incompatible with Islamic
Laws and the international
legislation in effect."

2007 (a)

2009 (a)

Declaration:
withregard to Article 46,
the Islamic Republic of
Iran declares that it does
not consider itself bound
by any provisions of the
Convention, which may
be incompatible with its
applicable rules.