Do Women Have Any Rights in Iran?
From the standpoint of the ruling regime and its dictated rules:
Women’s most important responsibility is homemaking and raising children.
Women cannot leave their homes or travel abroad without their husbands’ permission.
Women covering up is an essential principle which must be observed and safeguarded.
Women are not entitled to custody of their children.
Women’s main occupation should not be jobs and employment.
Women must not sing since their voice is “Satanic”.
Women must not enter sports stadiums since they are male environments.
Women must not defend themselves against rape otherwise they are executed.
Women are not trust worthy enough to be granted sensitive responsibilities.
Women are not qualified to serves as a judge or president.
And the list goes on…
A brief glance over women’s rights in today’s Iran, leads us to conclude that women are sub-humans who virtually do not have any rights in life; but what is the truth?
The truth is that Iranian women have stood up to the mullahs’ massive repression and have never surrendered to the misogynous regime.
Many died under torture, were executed by firing squads or kissed their hanging noose but did not budge and iota on the most important demand and needs of their nation, that is national sovereignty and democratic freedoms.
Many preferred to spend long years behind bars in the cold of dungeons and prison cells and go on hunger strike, forsaking their homes, families and loved ones. Others rose up everywhere in any factory, university and school to demand their rights.
Therefore, it could be rightly said that the most prominent distinction between the Iranian Resistance and the regime ruling Iran is on women’s issue.
In 1985, the National Council of Resistance of Iran adopted a platform on the rights of women containing 13 articles. Then in September 1988, the Iranian Resistance’s President-elect Maryam Rajavi completed that plan and offered a new ten-point plan on the rights of women to guarantee women’s rights in the free Iran of tomorrow.
Contrary to the misogynous laws of the clerical regime, the plan recognizes all rights of women as equal and independent human beings and provides them the opportunity to advance in education, science, society, economy and politics to the highest levels.
With the International Women’s Day approaching, the website of the NCRI Women’s Committee, will once again publish brief articles on the ten-point plan for women in tomorrow’s Iran to honor this great day and the status of Iranian women.
The Ten-Point Plan for Women in Tomorrow’s Free Iran
- Fundamental Freedoms and Rights
- Women shall have the equal right to enjoy all human rights and fundamental freedoms;
- Irrespective of their ethnicity, religion, social class or demographics, women everywhere, in whatever village or city, must have the same rights as men in all economic, social and political spheres. Discrimination against women must be abolished in all its forms.
- Women are free to choose their place of residence, occupation, and education. They must have the opportunity to travel freely, have the right to freely choose their clothing and spouse, and have the right to leave the country, to obtain foreign citizenship, to devolve citizenship to their children, to divorce, and to obtain custody and guardianship over children.
- Belief in a specific faith or religion must not count as a factor to degrade any women or to prevent them from access to employment opportunities or educational and judicial resources.
Iranian regime’s laws are totally against women’s fundamental freedoms and rights
The constitution of the clerical regime has made gender equality contingent upon the criterion of “conformity with Islamic criteria” which allows any king of violation of women’s rights.
According to Article 20 of that constitution, “All citizens of the country, both men and women, equally enjoy the protection of the law and enjoy all human, political, economic, social, and cultural rights, in conformity with Islamic criteria.”
And Article 21 states, “The government must ensure the rights of women in all respects, in conformity with Islamic criteria.
” Since the ruling mullahs have a reactionary interpretation of Islam rendering it in effect a misogynistic religion, their views and laws are based on discrimination and suppression against women.
Article 115 of the constitution writes that the President must be elected from religious and political men.
The clerical regime’s Civil Law has explicitly rejected the rights of women in these respects, stating among other things:
Article 1105 – The family is headed by the husband and the woman may not leave home without the husband’s permission.
“The husband has the right to prevent his wife from engaging in a profession which goes against the interest of the family or the honor of the husband or the wife” (Article 1117).
“A man can divorce his wife any time he so chooses” (Article 1133).
“A wife must live in the home her husband chooses, unless she is given the right to choose the location of her residence” (Article 1114).
In the rules governing employment of judges, it has been written: “Judges must be chosen from among qualified men.”
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