During its last Universal Periodic Review (UPR) (November 2019), the Government of the
Islamic Republic of Iran stated that the Act on Protection, Dignity and Security of Women
against Violence, “aimed at criminalising new forms of assault, harassment and violations of the
rights of women and adopting preventive and support measures to stop violence against
women.”41 In January 2020, the U.N. Secretary General expressed concerns about the slow
progress of the bill, which has been under review since 201042 and as of February 2021, was still
under the review of the Iranian Parliament.43 The draft bill will then need to be vetted by the
Guardian Council. The Secretary General also noted that “critical articles were reportedly
removed from the initial proposal of the Executive, including provisions protecting women from
various forms of violence and criminalizing domestic violence.”44 45 As of early February 2021,
the available draft of the law46 suggests that the text may be insufficient to protect women in Iran
from discrimination and violence. Even though the draft law may bring positive developments, it
will remain limited by the Civil Code47, the Family Law48, and the Islamic Penal Code49, which
contain provisions that effectively discriminate against women and fail to protect them
adequately from violence.50 In November 2019, the Islamic Republic of Iran rejected States’
UPR recommendations asking for the criminalisation of domestic violence and marital rape.51
Structural discriminations deeply rooted in the Iranian legal system ultimately lead to widespread
discrimination against women, in all aspects of their lives.52 There are a number of mechanisms
where Iranian citizens can report violations of their rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran,
including the Parliament’s Article 90 Commission,53 or Oversight Bodies for the exercise of
Citizenship Rights in the country's provincial courts.54 However and as aforementioned, gender
discrimination is inherent to the Iranian legal framework. Consequently, there is little
41
Universal Periodic Review, Iran, 2019, https://undocs.org/A/HRC/43/12
Ceasefire Centre for Civilian Rights, Centre for Supporters of Human Rights and Minority Rights Group International
September 2019, https://www.justice.gov/eoir/page/file/1203136/download
43
New York Times, https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/05/world/middleeast/iran-sexual-violence-metoo-women.html
44
Report of the Secretary General, Situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran, 2020,
https://www.ohchr.org/Documents/Countries/IR/Report_of_the_SecretaryGeneral_on_the_situation_of_human_rights_in_the_Islamic_Republic_of_IranA4320.pdf
45
See Radio Farda https://en.radiofarda.com/a/new-watered-down-draft-law-on-violence-against-women-iniran/30173089.html ;
and ISNA www.isna.ir/news/98071612729/ (in Farsi).
46
https://shenasname.ir/laws/7023
47
The Civil Code: https://shenasname.ir/laws/6664
48
The Family Law: https://shenasname.ir/subjects/family/1470
49
The Islamic Penal Code: https://shenasname.ir/subjects/salamat/1571-mojazat92
50
This information is up-to-date and accurate as of early February 2021. For more up to date information on the passage of this
bill, please click the following link: http://www.impactiran.org/vawbill
51
Recommendations 26.253, 26.254, Universal Periodic Review, Iran, 2019, https://undocs.org/en/A/HRC/43/12/Add.1
52
See more: Minority Rights, https://minorityrights.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/MRG_CFR_Iran_EN_Sept191.pdf
53
The 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.
54
These committees have the responsibility to oversee the strict implementation of the "Law on Respect for Legitimate Freedoms
and Civil Rights”
42
5