C. Property rights
The share of inheritance under Iranian law discriminates between men and women.31 Article 907
of the Civil Code provides that in matters of inheritance, when a deceased person has multiple
heirs, sons inherit twice as much as daughters.32 According to Article 911 of the Civil Code, if
the deceased leaves no sons or daughters, his grandchildren will inherit according to the portion
their parent would have received; hence, the children of a son receive twice as much as the
children of a daughter.33 The division of that inheritance is then dictated by the gender of each
individual, boys receiving twice as much as girls.34
D. Discrimination in practice
Structural discrimination deeply entrenched in the Iranian legal system ultimately translates in
practice to widespread discrimination against women and girls, in all aspects of their lives.35 There
are a number of mechanisms through which Iranian citizens can report violations of their rights in
the Islamic Republic of Iran, including the Parliament’s Article 90 Commission,36 or Oversight
Bodies for the exercise of Citizenship Rights in the country's provincial courts.37 As previously
mentioned however, gender discrimination is inherent to the Iranian legal framework.
Consequently, there is little opportunity for one’s complaint in these matters to be adequately
addressed and properly adjudicated in compliance with international standards. There is no
independent National Human Rights Institution competent to receive complaints from children,
including girls, in the Islamic Republic of Iran. In regard to illegal acts of violence against women
under Iranian law, there is no readily available information that might suggest that complaints are
adequately addressed, investigated and adjudicated.
Recommendation Status:
This recommendation has NOT been implemented.
31
Articles 861 to 948, Civil Code of the Islamic Republic of Iran. https://iranhrdc.org/the-civil-code-of-the-islamic-republic-ofiran/
32
Civil Code of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Article 907.
33
Civil Code of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Article 911.
34
Impact Iran submission to the Committee on the Rights of the Child, review of the 3rd and 4th periodic reports of the Islamic
Republic of Iran: https://tbinternet.ohchr.org/_layouts/15/TreatyBodyExternal/countries.aspx?CountryCode=IRN&Lang=EN
35
See more: Minority Rights, https://minorityrights.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/MRG_CFR_Iran_EN_Sept191.pdf
36
The Parliament’s Article 90 Commission was established to receive the citizens' complaints against government institutions
and has the responsibility to review them and transmit cases for judicial procedure accordingly.
37
These committees have the responsibility to oversee the strict implementation of the "Law on Respect for Legitimate Freedoms
and Civil Rights”
4