marriage,4 the share of inheritance,5 and the right to divorce.6 Within the marriage relationship, the
Civil Code provides rights to the husband over those of the wife,7 such as stating that the position
of the “head of the family” is the exclusive prerogative of the husband. Under Iranian law, the
husband is entitled to control daily aspects of his wife’s life8 and demand that she performs her
“duties”.9
Women and girls from religious and ethnic minorities face multiple or intersecting forms of
discriminations under the Iranian legal system, on the basis of their gender, ethnicity, religion or
belief and other protected grounds under international human rights law. Many features of Iran’s
domestic laws result in discrimination against Shia Muslims, and other Muslim and non-Muslim
minorities. 10 An absence of legal safeguards enables the Iranian authorities to restrict the rights of
members belonging to religious or belief minorities and even to criminalize a wide range of their
peaceful activities in manifesting their religion or belief. Reports have found that religious or belief
minorities in Iran have faced widespread and severe human rights violations on the basis of their
religious or ethnic identity, such as (i) arbitrary deprivation of life including extrajudicial
executions; (ii) a disproportionate number of executions on national security-related charges; (iii)
arbitrary arrests and detention in connection with range of peaceful activities; (iv) incitement to
hatred; (v) discriminatory practices within the employment sector, including forced closure of
businesses and denial of employment; and (vi) restrictions on access to education and other basic
services.11
While the rights of members of ethnic minorities are protected under the Constitution of the Iran,12
Arabs, Azerbaijani Turks, Balochis and Kurds often experience discrimination on the basis of their
ethnic identity and are generally sidelined from access to key public services, including education
and health care sectors. 13 Furthermore, provinces in Iran that are predominantly inhabited by
ethnic minorities, such as Khuzestan with its Awhazi Arab majority, or Sistan and Baluchestan
4
Article 1041, Civil Code of the Islamic Republic of Iran. https://iranhrdc.org/the-civil-code-of-the-islamic-republic-of-iran/
Articles 861 to 948, Civil Code of the Islamic Republic of Iran. https://iranhrdc.org/the-civil-code-of-the-islamic-republic-ofiran/
6
Article 1133, Civil Code of the Islamic Republic of Iran. https://iranhrdc.org/the-civil-code-of-the-islamic-republic-of-iran/
7
Articles 1102 to 1119, 1133 to 1142, Civil Code of the Islamic Republic of Iran. https://iranhrdc.org/the-civil-code-of-theislamic-republic-of-iran/
8
For instance, under Article 1117 of the Civil Code of the Islamic Republic of Iran: “The husband can prevent his wife from
occupations or technical work which is incompatible with the family interests or the dignity of himself or his wife.”
https://iranhrdc.org/the-civil-code-of-the-islamic-republic-of-iran/
9
Article 1108, Civil Code of the Islamic Republic of Iran. https://iranhrdc.org/the-civil-code-of-the-islamic-republic-of-iran/
10
Joint submission to the Human Rights Committee from All Human Rights for All in Iran, Association for Human Rights in
Kurdistan – Geneva, Association for the Human Rights of the Azerbaijani People in Iran, Iran Human Rights Documentation
Center, OutRight International, Siamak Pourzand Foundation, Small Media, Impact Iran, 2020,
https://tbinternet.ohchr.org/Treaties/CCPR/Shared%20Documents/IRN/INT_CCPR_NGO_IRN_42317_E.pdf
11
Report of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran, 18 July 2019,
https://undocs.org/Home/Mobile?FinalSymbol=A%2F74%2F188&Language=E&DeviceType=Desktop
12
Article 19, Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Iran, English translation, https://irandataportal.syr.edu/wpcontent/uploads/constitution-english-1368.pdf
13
Joint submission to the Human Rights Committee from All Human Rights for All in Iran, Association for Human Rights in
Kurdistan – Geneva, Association for the Human Rights of the Azerbaijani People in Iran, Iran Human Rights Documentation
Center, OutRight International, Siamak Pourzand Foundation, Small Media, Impact Iran, 2020,
https://tbinternet.ohchr.org/Treaties/CCPR/Shared%20Documents/IRN/INT_CCPR_NGO_IRN_42317_E.pdf
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