Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran
A/HRC/34/65 para 90
Full recommendation:
The Special Rapporteur calls on the Government to ratify the Convention on the elimination of
discrimination against women, to amend and repeal all laws which discriminate women and
girls and to refrain from adopting laws and measures which would further undermine the
empowerment of women and their participation into the labour force. She urges the Government
to ensure women and girls’ freedom of movement and guarantee their fundamental right to
physical education, physical activity and sport. Laws and regulations that require women and
girls to observe the Islamic dress code infringe their right to have, adopt and profess or not a
religion or belief and do not take into account the various religious components of the Iranian
society. These laws should be reviewed and the Government should respect the right of anyone to
privacy and ensure that security forces refrain from acting as moral guardians of the citizens.
Assessment using Impact Iran human rights indicators1
A. The Special Rapporteur calls on the Government to ratify the Convention on the
elimination of discrimination against women
The Islamic Republic of Iran has not ratified the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of
Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW). The Government of Mohammad Khatami presented
a bill to ratify the Convention, which was adopted by the Parliament in August 2004. However,
the Guardian Council, the body responsible for the final approval of laws in Iran, deemed the bill
inconsistent with Islamic principles and rejected it.2
B. The Special Rapporteur calls on the Government to amend and repeal all laws
which discriminate women and girls
The Iranian legal framework contains several provisions directly discriminating against women
and preventing women’s equal and full enjoyment of civil, political, social and economic rights.
Article 3 of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Iran stipulates to a duty of the State to
work towards “the abolition of all forms of undesirable discrimination and the provision of
equitable opportunities for all, in both the material and the intellectual spheres.”3 Article 20
guarantees that all citizens of Iran, men and women, enjoy the equal protection of the law and of
1
CCPR.2.3.S.1; CCPR.3.1.S.1; CCPR.3.1.S.4; CCPR.16.1.S.1; CCPR.23.2.S.1; CCPR.23.4.S.1; CCPR.23.3.S.1; CRC.8.1.S.1;
ESCR.2.2.S.1; ESCR.6.1.S.1; ESCR.6.1.S.3; CCPR.3.1.P.3; CCPR.16.1.P.1; CCPR.23.2.P.1; CCPR.2.3.P.1; CCPR.23.3.P.1;
ESCR.2.2.P.3; ESCR.6.1.P.1; CCPR.2.3.O.4; CCPR.3.1.O.4; CCPR.23.3.O.1; CRC.8.1.O.2; CCPR.2.1.O.1; ESCR.6.1.O.2
2
< https://www.radiozamaneh.com/278972 >
3
Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Iran, https://irandataportal.syr.edu/wp-content/uploads/constitution-english-1368.pdf
1