responsibility, which is set at nine lunar years for girls (the Gregorian equivalent of eight years,
nine months) and fifteen lunar years for boys (the Gregorian equivalent of fourteen years, seven
months).3
Additionally, a large number of provisions under the Iranian Civil Code are discriminatory
towards women. These provisions notably include the legal age of marriage,4 the share of
inheritance,5 and the right to divorce.6 In marriage, the Civil Code provides rights to the husband
over those of the wife,7 notably by establishing 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 aspects
of his wife’s life8 and demand that she performs her ‘duties.’9
Although not challenging the discriminatory legal framework described above, the Government
engaged in steps addressing the status of women in the Islamic Republic of Iran. By order of the
President, the Government required to allocate 30% of the managerial positions to women.
Additionally, the Deputy-President for women and family affairs has drafted a document on the
promotion of the status of women and the family through identifying the indicators of gender
balance, and consultation with the civil society. The Government also established a National
Task Force on the Empowerment of Female Heads of Households in the field of development of
employment and entrepreneurship. The Government reportedly increased the quota of women in
recruitment of government departments and launched the Women's Business Development and
Acceleration Center which aims at “strengthening rural women's associations and cooperation”
as well as “entrepreneurship development for women.” 10 There is no readily available
information as to what extent these measures effectively translated to in practice. In fact, recent
statistics suggest otherwise: a recent World Bank study ranked Iran fourth-lowest in its 2019
Women, Business and the Law index,11 and according to the Government’s statistics published
in 2018, female economic participation stood at 15.9 per cent for women, compared to 64.1 per
cent for men, one of the lowest rates in the world.12
3
Criminal responsibility, Articles 140, 146 and 147 of the Islamic Penal Code, 2013 https://iranhrdc.org/english-translation-ofbooks-i-ii-of-the-new-islamic-penal-code/
4
Article 1041, Civil Code of the Islamic Republic of Iran. https://iranhrdc.org/the-civil-code-of-the-islamic-republic-of-iran/
5
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-theislamic-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
UPR 2019, National Report, Islamic Republic of Iran, https://undocs.org/A/HRC/WG.6/34/IRN/1
11
World Bank, Women, Business and the Law 2019: A Decade of Reform, May 2019, p.9
12
Statistical Centre of Iran, Natayej-e-Amar giri-ye- nirou-ye-kaar, Paeiz-e-1396 [Results of the census on workforce, Autumn
of 1396], https://bit.ly/330NG8t
2