Concluding observation Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights
E/C.12/IRN/CO/2 para 11
Full recommendation:
The Committee recommends that the State party increase its efforts to combat unemployment
through specifically targeted measures, in particular aimed at women and youth, including by
addressing mismatches between education and labour markets through increases in the quality
of technical and vocational training and education. The Committee also urges the State party to
adopt temporary special measures to address the very high unemployment rates in areas with
ethnic minorities, and to include information in its next State party report on the progress
achieved.
Assessment using Impact Iran human rights indicators1
A. The Committee recommends that the Islamic Republic of Iran increase its efforts to
combat unemployment through specifically targeted measures, in particular aimed
at women and youth, including by addressing mismatches between education and
labour markets through increases in the quality of technical and vocational training
and education.
Women have limited access to work which exacerbates unemployment within this group. A
husband can prevent his spouse from pursuing an occupation which he believes to be against
family values or harmful to his or her reputation.2 There is no law prohibiting an employer from
seeking a husband’s permission for a woman to work and employers have been reportedly
requiring engaged or married women to provide a written statement of permission from their
husbands in order to be hired.3 Although not challenging the discriminatory legal framework
described above, the Government has engaged in steps addressing the status of women with
regards to the right to work in the Islamic Republic of Iran. The Supreme Administrative Council
reportedly decided to require the Government 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
1
ESCR.6.2.P.1
ESCR.6.2.O.1
ESCR.6.1.S.3
ESCR.6.1.P.1 ESCR.6.1.O.1
2
Civil Code of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Art.1117 < https://shenasname.ir/laws/6664 >
3
Human Rights Watch, ‘It’s A Men’s Club’: Discrimination against Women in Iran’s Labour Market, May 2017
https://www.hrw.org/sites/default/files/report_pdf/iran0517_web_11.pdf
1