Similarly, women in Iran have a limited presence in decision-making bodies in the country. Women are completely prohibited from holding the position of Supreme Leader. Candidates for the presidency in Iran must be what the constitution refers to as Rajol-E- Siasi (“political men”).11 Though many argue that the phrase as a whole could be understood as “political persons,” without a specification as to gender, the Guardian Council of the Constitution, a body of Islamic jurists responsible for vetting candidates for elections, has never approved a woman to stand in presidential elections or elections to the Assembly of Experts.12 Additionally, no woman has ever served on the Guardian Council (body mandated to bring parliamentary resolutions in line with Shari’a and the Constitution and to oversee elections and vet candidates),13 nor on the Expediency Council (body which serves as the Supreme Leader's advisory arm, formulating "general policies for the state" and overseeing the implementation of those policies on the behalf of the Supreme Leader).14 There are no legal limits laws on the ability of women to vote or become a candidate for parliament or the City and Village Councils. However, the Guardian Council is known to arbitrarily disqualify women candidates from running for election. For example, in the run-up to the 2020 elections, the Guardian Council disqualified 60 percent of female candidates. Complaints related to election process or candidate vetting, election law designates the Guardian Council as the arbitrator, which itself is the body responsible for the impugned decisions. There are currently no female ministers in the government’s cabinet. No provincial governors are women. The government recently appointed three women as “county governor” out of 430 positions across the country.15 The administration appointed women to 13 out of 1,058 district governors, mostly in small provinces across the country. Women currently occupy only 5.8 percent (16 out of 290) of parliamentary seats in the new parliament elected in February 2020.16 The Islamic Republic of Iran has not prevented discrimination against women and girls as well as religious and ethnic minority in all spheres of public life and services.17 18 19 11 Art 115, Constitution of Iran. The council that should choose the Supreme Leader and its mandate is to monitor him. 13 In addition, the Guardian Council is responsible for overseeing elections and vetting candidates. 14 The body, whose members are all appointed by the Supreme Leader, was initially established as an arbitration body between parliament and the Guardian Council. 15 Executive rankings at the provincial level: 1) Governor, 2) County Governor, 3) District Governor, 4) Village President. 16 See more: All Human Rights for All in Iran, Association for Human Rights in Kurdistan – Geneva (KMMK-G) Association for the Human Rights Of The Azerbaijani People In Iran (AHRAZ), Iran Human Rights Documentation Center (IHRDC), OutRight International, Siamak Pourzand Foundation, Small Media, Impact Iran, Subbmission to the Human Rights Committee, 129th session, 2020, https://tbinternet.ohchr.org/Treaties/CCPR/Shared%20Documents/IRN/INT_CCPR_NGO_IRN_42317_E.pdf 17 See more: All Human Rights for All in Iran, Association for Human Rights in Kurdistan – Geneva (KMMK-G) Association for the Human Rights Of The Azerbaijani People In Iran (AHRAZ), Iran Human Rights Documentation Center (IHRDC), OutRight International, Siamak Pourzand Foundation, Small Media, Impact Iran, Subbmission to the Human Rights Committee, 129th session, 2020, https://tbinternet.ohchr.org/Treaties/CCPR/Shared%20Documents/IRN/INT_CCPR_NGO_IRN_42317_E.pdf 18 See more: Minority Rights Group, https://minorityrights.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Rights-Denied-Violations-againstethnic-and-religious-minorities-in-Iran.pdf 19 See more: Minority Rights Group, https://minorityrights.org/publications/beyond-the-veil-discrimination-against-women-iniran-english-and-persian/ 12 3