NCWDI

Alternative Report on Iran

Submitted to:

Conference of NGOs in Consultative

Relationship with the United Nations

Total number of pages: 19

Date: January 31, 2000

Alternative report by National Committee of Women for a Democratic Iran (NCWDI)

The following report is being published by NCWDI as an alternative report to the governmental report produced by the Iranian government.

Table of content:

The critical areas as it is listed in the table of content are supported by the facts in this report. These facts have been compiled from press reports from inside and outside of Iran.

ABOUT NCWDI

The National Committee of Women for Democratic Iran is a non-profit organization formed to fill the vacuum of a women’s organization devoted specifically to monitoring women’s rights in Iran.

Our tasks range from accurate reporting, to public appearances, to engaging in discussion and exchange with relevant authoritative bodies and institutes.

NCWDI is a U.S. based NGO focusing on the following objectives:

  1. To inform the public and human rights community of the deplorable abuse of the rights of Iranian women.

  2. To advocate observance and implementation of internationally accepted standards of human rights, in

    3. particular those pertaining to women, by disseminating information to interested individuals and groups.

  3. To heighten the awareness of Iranian women of their inviolable rights, as guaranteed by the Universal

Declaration of Human Rights and other international covenants.

NCWDI is also the only Iranian NGO from United States who was accredited to the Beijing Conference in 1995.

On-line: www.igc.org/ncwdi

1718 M Street, NW Suite 292

Washington, DC 20036

Tel: 202-726-3653

ncwdi@igc.org

INTRODUCTION

In October 1999, the UN Human Rights Commission's Special Representative on Iran concluded in his interim report to the General Assembly that "the period under review passed without much substantive change in the status of women" in Iran, noting that those discriminatory laws and practices which remain the cause of the unequal treatment faced by women in Iran." Women who have minor roles in some of the Houses of Power are in absolute minority and are overwhelmed by their male leaders. These women in order to maintain their positions display the same position as their male counter parts. As such, they are not able to initiate any effective steps to change women's situation. For instance, in the last couple of years with the help of women representatives in the parliament some misogynous laws have been passed. For example; hospital segregation law, the law to ban criticizing and discussing women's legal and social rights in the media, no male teachers for female students and no female students for boys older than 10 years old.

The general review of the Parliaments activity with regards to women demonstrates that in 1999, most of the female Parliamentary members not only did not help take a step towards the realization of the basic and necessary demands of women, but rather through their inactive presence and traditional views, they attempted to suppress women.

Zahra Shojaie, President Khatami's adviser and Head of Women's Contributions Affair Center, commented on women's role within the society: "The social activities of women does not mean having a job outside the house. It means the presence of their thoughts, ideas, decision making and views."

Iran has introduced the Islamic human rights as a different flavor of human rights. According to Tehran radio, July 15’99 - When asked about last year's report of the U.N. Special Representative Copithorne on Iran, the secretary of the Islamic Human Rights Committee said, "The mistake made by Copithorne and other rapporteurs of the United Nations is that they compare the Islamic values in our society with the values of western countries. They have not yet recognized that in a religious society, human rights are applied according to Islamic principles and not western values." It is based on this justification that Iran as the only country in the world practices stoning of women.

It is certain that the Iran’s governmental report will highlight "the advancement" of women in Iran. Some women have benefited from the Islamic state, but these are the women who are in some way

connected to the ruling clerics. The mothers, sisters, and daughters of the figures like Rafsanjani are given some token positions within the institutions of the state to show the world that women enjoy power in Iran. However, in reality, this only illustrates that women are the objects of manipulation for the benefit of the men. Currently, there is great dissatisfaction amongst the general population, and in particular amongst women. Observers should not be misguided by the thousands of people they see marching in support of the

theocracy. Jan Goodwin, a prominent English journalist, recently visited Iran. During her stay, she

attended a government-sponsored demonstration where she met a young woman. What Goodwin was told

by this young Iranian girl reveals much about the state of contemporary Iran and of the status of women.

"The government pays for buses to bring people from the schools, colleges, and factories. . . . Factory

workers get double salary to make sure they come. . . . No one would be here otherwise. The girl went on

to say, Do you think I dress like this at home? No of course I don't [She wore a lavender T-shirt with blue

jeans underneath her chador]. 'I hate all this. I am sixteen, this my time, my youth, I should be having

fun. Instead, I am here, dress like a peasant grandmother, to mourn a dead old man who hated beauty,

hated happiness. If God meant us to dress in black if he meant us to have no color in our lives, why did

he gives us flowers? That is what I would like to have asked of that dead Imam.

CEDAW IN IRAN

Jomhouri-Islami, newspaper, Feb. 7, 1998- In a session, presided over by Mohammad Khatami, the clerical regime's President, the Supreme Council of Cultural Revolution decided that "the Islamic Republic of Iran not join the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women," the state-controlled daily Jomhouri-Islami reported.

HUMAN RIGHTS OF WOMEN

Another Manifestation of Khatami's "Rule of Law": Woman to Be Stoned, Reuters, October 17, 99, TEHRAN - A court sentenced an Iranian woman to punishment by stoning for adultery and condemned her lover to death for killing her husband, newspapers reported on Sunday. The court ordered the 33-year old woman, identified only as Masoumeh, stoned for adultery in accordance with the country's laws and gave her a 15-year jail term for complicity in her husband's murder, the Qods daily said. Her 21-year old lover was condemned to death and to receive 100 lashes before execution for extra-marital sexual relations.

Iranian Hard-Liners Force Scrapping of Women's Race, Reuters, September 30, 99

TEHRAN - Municipal authorities in the city of Isfahan have canceled a road race for women after coming under pressure from hard-line conservatives, a newspaper reported Thursday. The race had been planned for Friday, the anniversary of the birthday of Fatima, the daughter of the Moslem Prophet Mohammad, the daily Kayhan reported. Clerics, cultural officials and "revolutionary bodies" protested against the race the newspaper said. Women involved in sporting events in Iran must cover their heads and bodies in line with the country's strict Islamic law, unless the event is held in indoors where men are not allowed to attend.

"Blood Money" Set At $20,000 For Men, $10,000 For Women, Reuters, May 17, 99

TEHRAN - Iran has set a maximum of $20,000 for the "blood money" a killer can pay to his victim's family to avoid execution, a newspaper reported on Monday. The government daily Iran said the judiciary set the cash value of diyeh, or blood money, at between 61 million and 162 million rials. Blood money for a woman is half that of a man. Despite annual increases to keep pace with inflation, the dollar value of blood money has declined since 1995. Iran's penal code has kept an old Islamic definition of blood money as one of the following: 100 camels, 200 cows, 1,000 sheep, 200 silk dresses, 1,000 gold coins, or 10,000 silver coins. But authorities have set cash equivalents to simplify matters.

Iran Bans Women Cyclists in Caspian Seaside Resort, Reuters, May 2, 99

TEHRAN - Iran has outlawed women cyclists at northern seaside resort as an affront to Islamic morality, a

newspaper reported on Sunday. The district governor in charge of Ramsar, formerly a plush holiday resort on Iran's northern Caspian coast, said women cyclists would be prosecuted even if they were covered from head to toe as required by Iran's Islamic laws, Kayhan newspaper said. "Women cyclists cannot protect their chastity even if they are fully covered, so they should avoid this altogether or they will be dealt with," the governor said.

Judiciary Chief Calls for Clampdown on Women's Dress, Agence France Presse, April 9, 99

TEHRAN - Iran's judiciary chief Mohammad Yazdi called for a government clampdown Friday on the increasing relaxation of the strict dress code for women imposed following the 1979 Islamic revolution.

[Reuters quoted Yazdi: "How should we deal with them? With arms, in a military way? Should we cause trouble and turn wedding parties into nightmares?'' referring to raids by vice squads which often break into houses and arrest party guests. ["Don't show your fancy stockings or fashionable shoes,'' Yazdi urged women. Iran's conservatives often warn that vice is on the rise in the country.]

Minorities, Women Still Face Rights Abuses in Iran, UN Expert Says, Associated Press, April 1 , 99

GENEVA - Iran should remain under special scrutiny at the UN Human Rights Commission for at least

another year because improvements are not big enough, said Maurice Danby Copithorne, the UN special

investigator on Iran. Copithorne, a Canadian lawyer, cited the murder of five dissident writers at the end of last year as an example of "unanswered questions" about the regime. He urged the Iranian government to speed up prosecutions of those suspected of the murders, including intelligence ministry officials.

Copithorne spoke to journalists before presenting his report on Iran to the 53-nation human rights commission. His 26-page report said that minority groups like members of the Baha'i faith and women continued to suffer violations. The Iranian government didn't invite Copithorne to visit the country as it is angered that it remains under special scrutiny. The report was compiled from discussions with the authorities and other groups in the United States and Geneva.

Three Iranian Girls Charged With Dressing as Boys, Agence France Presse, March 16 , 99

TEHRAN - Three teenaged Iranian girls were brought before a Tehran court for walking the streets of the capital dressed as boys, the Iranian newspaper Khorassan reported Tuesday. "We always dreamed of being boys," the three told the judge Monday, adding that they had defied the Islamic republic's strict female dress code in order to be "left alone." Parastou, Elnaz and Mojghan -- ages 15, 16 and 17 respectively -- were also charged with leaving their family homes without permission.

Khatami's "Civil Society": Woman to Have Hand Amputated, Then Hang, Reuters, February 2, 99

TEHRAN - An Iranian court has sentenced a woman to have her hand amputated and then be hanged for killing an elderly woman and stealing her belongings, a newspaper reported on Tuesday. The daily Salam said the Tehran court found the 38-year-old woman, identified only as Jamileh, guilty of strangling her 70-year-old victim with the help of an accomplice and stealing gold objects from her home. The accomplice received a 15-year jail sentence, the newspaper added. Both convicted women were described as drug addicts. Under Iran's Islamic laws, the amputation of fingers or a hand are possible punishments for theft.

Women Inheritance Rights -BBC world Jan. 5, 1998; Iran’s Parliament overwhelmingly rejected the bill on same inheritance rights for man and women. They said the proposal was contrary to Islamic law, which stipulates that a woman’s share may only be one half that of a man’s.

Women’s Divorce Rights, AP, Nov. 2, 1997; Iranian women made a small gain by getting Parliament to pass a law that granted women some custody rights to children after a divorce, but only if the father was determined to be a drug addict, an alcoholic or "morally corrupt." In past year, Parliament and other religious leaders proposed a number of new laws or policies that will adversely effect the health, education, and well being of women and girl children in Iran.

Oppressive human and women's rights! Tehran radio, Dec. 26, 97 - Khamenei's sermon in meeting with thousands of people in Tehran: Never in the history of mankind, have oppression, corruption and rebellion been so extensive. Never in the history of mankind, has man used so much deception and force under the pretext of human rights and women's rights to inflict so extensive oppression on nations...

Violence Against Women

A Woman's life is valued only half as much as a man's Life, as stated in Article 209 of Islamic criminal

law. A convicted man who has intentionally slain a woman is subject to execution only after the payment

of "Deyeh" by the family of the victim. "Deyeh" is defined as a sum of money that the victim's family has

to pay to the assailant's family for the physical damages, dismemberment, or death of the assailant.

Additionally, Article 300 of the Islamic criminal law states that the "Deyeh" of a Muslim woman is half of

the "Deyeh" of a Muslim man. By law the life of a woman has half the value of a man in Islamic criminal

law. The "Deyeh" for a man is about 7 million toman in Iranian currency, approximately $11,000 US dollars. If the murderer and slain are both men, the amount of "Deyeh" is determined by the education,

occupation, and social position of the murderer and the slain. However, for a slain woman,the value of

"Deyeh" is about 3.5 million toman, $5,500 US dollars. The academic and social achievements of a

woman are not taken into consideration in determining the "Deyeh."

These laws can be further clarified by the following example. Mr. Gholamreza Khoshrowkoran Kordieh

raped eleven women and murdered the victims in a sadistic and brutal manner. He was convicted and

condemned to death. However, the verdict was carried out only after the payment of "Deyeh" by the

victims' families. Before his execution, each of the families of the victims paid 3.5 million toman to his

family. The execution could only be carried out when each and every one of the families paid the

"Deyeh." If any of the families failed to make their payment, his execution will not take place. In practice,

the Islamic law is supportive of criminals who commit crimes against women.

Further gender discrimination in Islamic criminal law can be seen in amendment One of Article 1210. It

defines the age of maturity for males as fifteen lunar years and for females as nine lunar years. According

to the law, boys and girls from the age fifteen and nine, respectfully, are held legally responsible for their

actions. Consequently, women have criminal liability for an additional six years more than men, as

imposed by this law.

According to Article 102 of the: Law Of Islamic Punishment, "during stoning, a man is put in a hole up to her waist and a woman up to her breast. "The law provides that if a person who is to be stoned manages

to escape, he or she will be allowed to go free. Since, it is easier for man to escapee, this discrimination is literally a matter of life and death for she would have less chances to pull herself out of the hole.

According to Article 18 of passport law, married women require their husband's permission to apply for a

passport. In case of an emergency or absence of the husband, the public prosecutor's office can issue the

permit within 3 days from the date of the application.

Islamic government does not recognize the divorces and the marriages administered in foreign countries

unless they are endorsed by Iranian embassies or consulates, or the rituals are repeated in Iran. The

consequences and calamities of this restrictive rule translates as follows:

If an Iranian married couple immigrate to a foreign country and divorce according to the laws of that

country, the divorce is not legitimate for the woman. The process must be repeated in the Islamic

embassy or the consulate. If each of the spouses remarries separately after the divorce in the overseas

country and travels to Iran, the wife could be arrested and tried for committing adultery. The punishment

for adultery is burying the woman in the ground and stoning her to death. However, this does not apply to

the man. By law the man is not in marriage violation.

Moreover, in the same situation as above if the couple have children, and the court granted custody of the

children to the mother, if they traveled to Iran, the husband could take the children away from his ex-wife

because husband is the sole custodian for the children. No custody privilege is granted to women under

any circumstances.

The law and law makers in Iran do not show any concern about violence in the family. The victims of

violence in the family, who resort to family courts are condemned for causing their husbands' harsh and

disrespectful behavior. Women are cautioned to be submissive to their husbands' wishes. They are

expected to understand what their husband's violence is for the good of the family, and is necessary for

the proper rearing of the children. The prosecutors often overlook violence in the family, and allow the

parties to compromise among themselves.

According to article 1102, the law states that "a man and his wife are supposed to live peacefully." In the

sequential article, it states that, "the parties should assist each other in rearing their children and reinforcing

the family structure." There is no mention of violence in any part of family law.

According to Islamic law, if two people are involved in a conflict that may result in an injury, the injured

can charge the assailant for assault and battery. The convicted assailant can be fined a "Deyeh", receive

lashes or a term of imprisonment. However, if the victim is a woman, the only action the court takes is

advising the victim and the perpetrator to meet and negotiate.

In the case where the wife is injured, the wife needs to prove her claim of assault and battery in the court.

The proof might not be a problem if the claim was addressed promptly. However, most cases linger in the

court's list of claims for a long time before it is brought to a hearing. Most often, the physical wounds

from the assault and battery have already healed, making the case lacking in substantial evidence.

Additionally, the psychological damage the woman experienced is nearly impossible to prove in court.

Due to the difficulties involved with obtaining justice for victims of violence in the family, many times the

victims would rather tolerate the pain and agony. The victim will not charge the assailant, usually the

husband, since the court offers no assistance or resolutions. Slowly and surely, this violence will

deteriorate the relationship. Unfortunately, most wait for the worse to come.

This situation has created an atmosphere of exhaustion, restlessness, and hopelessness among the women

in the families where there is violence. The exploited women continue on with their lives with distrust and

a lack of confidence in a better future. Violence in families will create lasting effects on the children, who

are the men and women of the next generation. The cycle continues and they raise their children with the

same rules that they are taught. As a result, violence in the family takes its toll on the society and creates a

harsh living environment susceptible to violations and criminal activities.

For instance, a woman says "I was married at the age of 12, and I had my first child when I was 13. My

husband was unemployed and we fought all the time. We never applied for a divorce because I was afraid

of losing my child. Finally one night, he poured a bucket of acid over my body and I was completely

burned. When I rushed to the sink to flush my face and body. I realized that he had shut off the main

water supply. I was taken to the hospital. My operation was held up pending advance money for the

surgery, and permission from my husband to operate on my face. My mother sold all of her valuables and

provided the money. My husband said he would only permit my operation if I consented to not seeing my

children for the rest of my life. Finally, with hospital's pressure on the family court they allowed me to

receive the operation on my face and body. "( Zanon Magazine, #42.)

More girls run away Azad, Sept. 29, 1999: Fahimeh Eskandari, the manager of Rayhaneh House, the cultural, social and welfare center for abandoned girls, said: An important issue in social pathology, that has had an uphill trend in the past four years, is the problem concerning girls who run away from their

homes and seek refuge in society. She added: Research in this area indicates that this sector of society

suffers from a lack of confidence. Given the religious texture of our society and fear of family, these girls refuse to return to their homes. Furthermore, due to the lack of support groups and in order to make ends meet, they indulge in criminal and deviant behavior..."

Family violence against women, Iran Times" Sept 25, 1998 - In another example, a woman was murdered by her husband's brutal battery and torture. She was rushed to Sina hospital in Tehran. Shortly after, she died due to infection and deep injuries. Before her death, Mina Omolbanin was questioned on what had happened to her. She had lied that she had fallen down some steps, from fear of what else her husband might do. When the nurses insisted that she tell the truth about her injuries, she finally admitted, " My mother-in-law troubled me and my husband burned me with cigarette ashes and with skewers. He also beat me up with a cable." When asked why she didn't run away, she said, " I was imprisoned in a shed located at the end of the yard and did not see the sun for twelve days. He burned and beat me. Then he locked me up and left. I asked my father for help and he ignored my plea. My father told me, "You went to your husband's home with a bridal gown. You should leave that home with a white burial shroud." In a few instances, I reported the beating and burning to the nearest police station. However, they did not help and never took control of the case." The judge released the content of the file to the news media. This 22 year old victim of violence was married off against her will in the city of Sarab. "

Stoning of Women, Sunday October 17,1999- A court sentenced an Iranian woman to punishment by stoning for adultery and condemned her lover to death for killing her husband, newspapers reported.

The court ordered the 33-year old woman, identified only as Masoumeh, stoned for adultery in

accordance with the country's laws and gave her a 15-year jail term for complicity in her husband's

murder, the Qods daily said. Her 21-year old lover was condemned to death and to receive 100 lashes before execution for extra-marital sexual relations.

Islamic Law in Iran- LA Times, May 16, 1998 reported on the approved law for segregating health care services for men and women. Iran’s Parliament adopted the law in April which will compromise the health care for women and girls because there are not enough trained female physicians and health care professionals to meet the needs of all the women and girls in Iran. The same article also points to another new law of prohibiting the discussion of women’s issues or rights outside the interpretation of Shari’a (Islamic law). Women’s rights can only be discussed by religious male figures in Iran.

Temporary Marriages, France Soir, 14 January 1998; reports on temporary marriage, in which a man can marry a woman for a limited period of time, even one hour, in exchange for money, is permitted in Iran. Earlier this year, Ayatollah Haeri Shirazi, a prominent religious leader called for a revival of this practice so clerical officials could have religious sanctioned sexual relationships with women. This practice is an approved form of sexual exploitation of women, and allows the regime to have an official network of prostitution.

Crackdown on Iranian women- U.S. News & World Report, August 17, 98, The day after the Iranian soccer team's defeat of the United States in the World Cup brought thousands of men and women dancing into the streets of Tehran, spiritual leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei told a secret meeting with senior officials that it was time "to crack down on any wanton behavior by Iranian women."...

Stoning in Iran, The Washington Times, February 27, 97

The condemned are wrapped head to foot in white shrouds and buried up to their waists. Then the

stoning begins. The stones are specifically chosen so they are large enough to cause pain, but not

so large as to kill the condemned immediately. They are guaranteed a slow, torturous death. Some-

times their children are forced to watch. Their offense is usually adultery. This is capital punish-

ment Iranian style, even under the so-called moderate new president, Mohammed Khatami.

Two members of Congress this week helped expose the continued savage practice under the new

government when they showed a video of a recent public stoning. The video was smuggled out of

the country by supporters of the Iranian resistance... Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, Florida Republican,

called stoning "inhumane, cruel and degrading." "It is important to note that at least seven persons

have been stoned to death in public during the tenure of the Iranian regime's new president. Four of

these victims have been women," she said. Rep. Gary L. Ackerman, New York Democrat, called

Iran the "world's worst violator of human rights." "This savagery sanctioned by the Khatami gov-

ernment proves that the moderation of the Iranian regime is but a mirage," he said....

Women Resist Raw Deal in Islamic Iran, Reuter, December 15, 97

TEHRAN (Reuters) - Women were in the vanguard of the Iranian revolution that ousted the Shah

18 years ago, but they have had a raw deal in the Islamic republic and are increasingly demanding

greater rights. Few of the countless thousands of women who poured into the streets, defying the

Shah's soldiers to demonstrate for change, can have imagined that the revolution would turn the

clock back more than half a century for their sex. Yet that, according to feminist lawyer Mehrangiz

Kar, is exactly what happened. "The family protection law enacted in the last four years of the

Shah's regime, which improved many things for women, was abolished and they returned to the

previous law approved 66 years earlier," she told Reuters in an interview. In the name of Islam, the

ruling Shi'ite Muslim clergy reinstated laws that give men an absolute right to divorce their wives

without having to produce any justification and, in the vast majority of cases, custody over the chil-

dren. Women are entitled to keep boys only up to the age of two and girls until seven. After that the

father has the right to custody. "Although the mother has a very lofty place in Iranian literature and

religious tradition, legally she is next to nothing," Kar said.

Women are barred from serving as judges, although there were many on the bench before the revo-

lution. They face explicit discrimination in the criminal law and an unwritten "glass ceiling" in

employment. A woman's evidence in court is worth only half a man's, Kar said, and for some

offenses, women's evidence is not admissible at all. Blood money for a murdered woman is only

half that for a man. Moreover, in an Islamic version of Catch 22, if a murdered woman's family insists

on her male killer's execution, her relatives have to pay his family the full blood money in compensation,

Kar said.

Police Arrest Loosely Veiled Women In Tehran, Agence France Presse, Nov. 30, 97

TEHRAN - Police rounded up a number of women in the Iranian capital on Sunday after accusing

them of failing to conform to the Islamic dress code in force since the 1979 revolution, witnesses

said. In the northern district of Vanak, several young women wearing colorful scarves and light

makeup were forced to board a police bus waiting outside a shopping mall to take them to a special

center which deals with "social vices."

Women be aware! Kermanshah radio, Sept. 6, 97- Friday Prayer leader, Haidari: On the issue of mal-veiling, I must say that women who wear heavy or light make up and appear in public, in front of strange men and show off themselves, they have some form of illness, some kind of moral and social problem. These type of women are devoid of human health and nature. They must beware of themselves. Our Islamic society, the Hezbollah, the families of the martyrs, and the great throngs of believers in God, how much more should these people suffer?

Security forces against women, Ressalat, Aug. 30, 97 - General Ayat Goudarzi, the former Security Forces commander for combating social corruption was appointed as Commander of the State Security Forces in Greater Tehran. We need to remind him of several important points in this regard: You can see that mal-veiling and non-veiling, vulgar video and cassette tapes, and the common use of imported and satellite movies and other manifestations of the obscene culture of West are abundant in Tehran. Your decisive and persistent reaction to this matter is therefore necessary to change Tehran as it befits our revolution and our Islamic capital.

Young woman escapes stoning death AFP, August 12, 97 - Kayhan daily reported that a 20-year-old Iranian woman came back to life in the hospital's mortuary after being stoned. The young woman who was not identified, had been condemned to death by stoning. The Coroner confirmed the girl's death, but she began breathing in the mortuary.

Number of female prisoners increased, News from Iran, July 14, 97 - According to the reports received from Iran, the number of female prisoners in Tehran's notorious Evin prison has substantially increased. A prisoner recently released from Evin reports that female prisoners are under the most barbaric forms of torture.

Stricter Dress Code for Women AFP, Feb. 20, 97 - Tehran - Iran issued a new stricter Islamic dress code for women as part of its campaign to turn back encroaching Western influences. The conservative newspaper Ressalat published the guidelines laid out by the Martyr Ghodusi judicial center, which specializes in fighting signs of "decadent" Western culture. Islamic law, as interpreted here, calls for prison terms of three months to one year, or fines and up to 74 lashes of the whip for the following offenses: Women dressed in "modish outfits such as suits and skirt without wearing a long overcoat on top." Iranian women have been required to wear a raincoat-like outfit over their regular dress and a scarf under the Islamic dress code enforced after the 1979 Islamic revolution. But the regulations ban any mini or short-sleeved overcoat or those "flashy ones with fashionable cuts, decorated with any exotic insignia."... The ban includes wearing any "depraved, showy and glittery objects on hats, necklaces, earrings, belts, bracelets, glasses, headbands, rings, neckscarfs and ties."...

Another onslaught on women,... Agence France Presse, Jan. 15 , 97- The AFP correspondent observed that the Security Forces arrested improperly veiled women, or those accompanied by men, whom they suspected of not being relatives. The women were forced onto a mini bus parked near Vanak Square, whose windows were covered with red curtains. Vanak is a well-to-do district in northern Tehran. A police officer oversaw the activities of these armed agents. Several women suspected of breaching the religious-code were arrested accidentally. A young woman was arrested because she was wearing a bright color garb and a floral scarf. Another young woman was arrested for wearing a black leader coat which did not reach her knees. A young couple, both around 30 years old, were arrested and the woman was taken into the bus to prove that they were married or from the same family. A teenage girl and a boy were also arrested on the sidewalk but were set free when several passers by defended them. Those arrested are fined or taken to the police station.

Temporary marriages victimize women France Soir, Jan. 14, 97- Temporary marriages which had been discredited in recent years are being debated again because of the mullahs' preference. On the basis of this old initiative in the Shiite tradition, the marriage can extend over a limited period, of even less than 24 hours, allowing men and women to have relationship within a religious framework. An important Shiite leader, Ayatollah Ha'eri Shirazi, the Friday prayer leader of Shiraz in southern Iran, today called for the revival of temporary marriages, called Seeqeh.... Many Islamic intellectuals oppose this tradition which threatens women. For Iranian opponents, temporary marriages have nothing to do with social progress. It is an excuse for the clerical officials, actually legitimizing their perverted behavior.

WOMEN AND HEALTH

Since Mohammad Khatami was elected as a new reform president in Iran, the most backward laws have been adopted in Iran, especially in the area of health. According to the reports by the Iranian government, many women gave their vote to Khatami hoping of higher standards of living, and more social rights. However, there has not been any improvement for their basic social right, and harsher limitations are in place now. One significant area that Iranian women are now suffering from is right to live. Iranian women are facing another challenge and that is keeping their health to be alive.

The Iranian Islamic Consultative Assembly has approved a legislation that will seriously jeopardize women’s health. The bill "Conformity of medical institutions' administrative and technical functioning to sacred religious standards" was passed by the Deputies after a second reading at the open session of the Islamic Consultative Assembly on Sunday presided by First Deputy-Speaker Hassan Rohani. (IRNA, October 4, 1998). The bill requires the full segregation of all medical and medically centers,

"…Including hospitals, obstetrical clinics, convalescence centers, laboratories, outpatient

Clinics, doctors' consulting rooms and pharmacies. , and Electro-physiotherapy, hydrotherapy,

Clinical laboratories of diagnostics and research, radiology, nuclear centers, urban and rural

Health and treatment centers, injection and wound dressing cabinets or any establishment

created or to be created under any label authorized by the Ministry of Health, therapy and

Medical education and similar departments in universities of medical science and all their

technical, administrative and service personnel. The bill stipulates that in implementation of

Article 3 of the Act of Establishment of the Ministry of Health, Therapy and Medical

Education, the Ministry is bound, in order to conform medical treatment, health and education,

to the standards of the sacred Islamic Religion, to proceed to policy-making, planification and

preparation of rules of procedure, with the aim of materializing the conformity of the

a fore-mentioned items with religious standards. Article 3 of the bill, that consists of seven

articles and three clauses, stipulates that, in order to achieve the goals of the present law, a

High Council of Conformity shall be established in the Ministry of Health, Therapy Medical Education, chaired by the minister. The Ministry should draw up the rules of procedure

of the present law within a maximal period of six months, after which, it shall be binding on all upon approval by the government. Until the new rules of procedure are communicated, the

present "Conformity Procedure" and its subsequent amendments by the Ministry shall remain

in force." (IRNA, October 4, 1998)

Over 30 million of Iran’s population are women and certainly there are not enough female physician across the country to offer the initial care to women in the country. Many women will be denied of adequate health service. We will witness rising serious illnesses and high rate of death among women in near future.

By passing this law, Mullahs have violated the international human rights standards, which were specified in the International Covenant on Economic Social and Cultural Rights and the International Covenant on civil and Political Rights, Both of which were ratified by Iran on 24 June 1975. (AAAS Science and Human Rights Program, Iran-Women’s Health Endangered, Case Number: IR9806)

These rights include:

Under the International Covenant on Economic Social and Cultural Rights:

Under the International Covenant and Civil and Political Rights:

(AAAS Science and Human Rights Program, Iran-Women’s Health Endangered, Case Number:IR9806)

The Guardian - Iran's female students protest at segregation, Geneive Abdo, Qom-Iran, Friday January 28, 2000 -This law has already start bringing more tension and frustration among women. Until recently, they had to fight to receive their basic social equality and rights, now they were pushed back another step to battle to obtain their equal health treatment. Another major direct impact of this law is to receive improper education by female medical students. To receive equal education they protest bravely accepting and knowing the up coming consequences. Their intention is only to receive the sexual equality.

" In a daring challenge to the Islamic system, female medical students in Iran are refusing to attend classes and are staging sit-ins in protest at their segregation from men In universities. The students believe they receive an inferior medical education to their male peers."

According to this report and similar ones, female students must attend separate classes and the best professors and facilities belong to male students. Only in Qom, at Fatimieh Medical school, The intellectual center for the Shi'ite Muslim clergy, dismissed its entire male staff. This according to experts has topple the quality of medical education and has suffered as a result, with women students deprived of the wide range of patients and teachers they need to complete their education. If they are denied of proper education and appropriate training how could they be able to offer the high-quality care to their female patients.

High morbidity rate among women Hamshahri, Dec. 1, 1999: "Dr. Farrokh Soheil Arshadi, a member of the medical school’s scientific board, told the conference: "The high morbidity rate among pregnant women in Iran is not due to the lack of professional manpower; rather, it is due to the inequitable distribution of health services." He added: "The morbidity rate is higher in villages than in urban areas."

Shojaii Zand, head of the social affairs department at the Interior Ministry, told the State- run television on November 27, 1999; " We have witness a significant rise in the number of suicide. Unfortunately, our figure shows 100 percent of rise in suicides". One report from Tehran’s Motahhari hospital says: "Eight out of every 10 patients admitted to this hospital are women who have set themselves on fire."

The following report appeared in the September 8, 1999, issue of Khordad daily: "From March 1997 to March 1998, there were 338 cases of attempted suicides in Ilam province; i.e., on average one person decided to commit suicide everyday. Such an alarming figure is not an accident, it is a calamity.

Another study in Shiraz-Iran done by Department of Psychiatry, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, out of 188 suicide cases 120 of them were females in the ages between 15-30 years (36.2% male vs. 68.6% women). The following statistic was published by the same institute and under suicidal case study:

"…. Adolescents constituted 75% of suicide cases due to financial problems…. Of suicidal attempts due to family discord 73.2% belonged to female and 26.8% to males… Among the suicidal population, housewives and students rank first (31.4% and 31.9% respectively)… Males were significantly older than females (median age 22 vs. 20.5)

Depression High Among Women Due to Restriction, Reuters, August 29,1999

This study confirms that women are more depressed than men in the early stages of suicide. The ratio of depression and ultimately suicide get worsen in more conservative cities such as Qom. Just in last summer, the government officially admitted to this by announcing the result of their case study on depression done in Qom and among women between the ages of 17 and 22. "The study shows that the level of depression in the city of Qom is more than that in Tehran. This goes back to the suppression of girl’s interests and existing restrictions."

These studies and facts are all demonstrating that the inequality between sexes continues in Iran, oppressing women in every social, physical and mental aspect. The circumstances haven’t improved since Begin 1995,and only change is worsen women’s condition in Iran. Everyday women feel more powerless than before.

ITALIAN DAILY DISPLAYS THE GLOOMY PICTURE OF WOMEN'S CONDITION IN IRAN,STATE-CONTROLLED TEHRAN TIMES, OCTOBER 21, 99

TEHRAN -- The Italian daily Corriere della Sera, in a report dispatched from Tehran written by its correspondent Antonio Ferari, compared the Islamic Republic of Iran with the Communist states.

The report, titled "The Covert Suffering of Iranian Women", which was carried by the daily on Tuesday, depicted a gloomy picture of the women's condition in Iran, claiming that a large number of young women

commit suicide. It added that "some 73 percent of the young women have no particular objective in their lives and are forced to marry men chosen by their families". In fact, the Italian correspondent tried to show

some connection between the suicides and the Islamic system, which is very ridiculous because psychologists cite different reasons for committing suicide such as failure in love, education and the like...

Admitting the Obvious: Depression High Among Women Due to Restrictions, Reuters, August 29, 99

TEHRAN - A government study has shown that young women in the conservative holy Iranian city of Qom are more depressed than those in the more liberal capital Tehran, a senior official was quoted as saying on Sunday. Qom is the stronghold of Iran's Shi'ite Moslem clergy and has a deeply conservative religious culture. "The study shows that the level of depression in the city of Qom is more than that in Tehran. This goes back to the suppression of girl's interests and existing restrictions." The survey was conducted recently among women between the ages of 17 and 22. All Iranian women live under social restrictions, including a conservative dress code. Iran imposed strict rules limiting women's freedoms after the 1979 Islamic revolution, but rules are more strictly applied in conservative cities like Qom.

WOMEN AND SUICIDE,

109 percent rise, among the highest rates in the world

Suicide has taken unprecedented dimensions, young women being the most vulnerable social group.

Shojaii Zand, head of the social affairs department at the Interior Ministry, told the state-run television on November 27, 99:"We have witnessed a significant rise in the number of suicides. Unfortunately, our figures show a 109 percent rise in suicides." The rate of suicide in Iran is among the highest in the world. In Khorassan Province alone, for every 100,000 persons, 60 commit suicide. In Ilam Province, 41 persons commit suicide out of every 100,000 people. The true figures, however, are far greater than those divulged by the officials and media. A confidential report to the Iranian parliament quotes the nurses’ supervisor in a northern Tehran hospital, the capital’s only emergency burn unit, as saying: "In a 24-hour period, we use 800 sheets for women who set fire to themselves and we have to sterilize the same sheets again for the new cases." A psychiatrist in Tehran’s Motahhari hospital says: "Eight out of every 10 patients admitted to this hospital are women who have set themselves on fire."

The following report appeared in the September 8, 1999, issue of Khordad daily: "From March 1997 to March 1998, there were 338 cases of attempted suicides in Ilam province; i.e., on average one person decided to commit suicide everyday. Such an alarming figure is not an accident, it is a calamity.

"Compared with previous years:

A family commits suicide -Jomhouri Islami daily, Dec. 1, 1999: Four members of a family from Kermanshah (capital of the western province of Kermanshah), committed mass suicide in a hotel in Mashad. According to informed sources in the hotel, the 22-year-old son and two daughters of the family, aged 15 and 21, died and their mother was transferred to hospital in a coma. Several pieces of syringe, stained with chemicals, some medicine, four pieces of shroud and a letter were found in their hotel room. The letter mentioned the father’s frantic behavior as the cause of suicide, noting that on several occasions he had attempted to murder his children.

Self-immolation of a young woman Salam, Jan. 19, 97 - A 19-year-old woman set herself aflame in Bari village of Ahwaz. It is said that she was victim of tribal prejudices and discriminations.

WOMEN AND THE MEDIA

Authorities Hold Female Editor of Tabloid, Editor-in-Chief of Daily Reuters, October 11, 99

TEHRAN – Mullahs’ authorities have arrested the editor of a tabloid weekly and summoned the editor-in-chief of a leading newspaper on various charges, Iran's media reported on Monday. Newspapers said Jaleh Oskoui, editor of Panjshanbeh-ha was held after she appeared in court to answer a dozen charges raised against her weekly. It was a rare case of a woman editor being arrested in Iran. The main charges against the tabloid were linked to its coverage of the controversy over the publication by a student newsletter of a play deemed offensive to a holy Shi'ite Moslem figure. The official news agency IRNA said a military court summoned Abbas Salimi-Namin, editor-in-chief of the English-language Tehran Times, for "divulging confidential material and publishing...lies" about last year's killings of dissidents.

Teenage Cartoonist May Face Court for Drawing, Reuters, April 10, 99

TEHRAN - A teenage cartoonist could be prosecuted in Iran for a drawing that allegedly insulted the country's Islamic laws and was in part responsible for the closing of a newspaper, reports said.

An Islamic revolutionary court ordered the daily Zan closed on Tuesday after it had published the cartoon.

The cartoon shows a thief holding a couple at gunpoint. The husband advises the gunman to shoot his wife as he would have to pay less blood money.

No female photos in newspapers or magazines, Reuters, 13 April 1998, reported on another new law approved by Parliament imposing more restrictions on the photographs of women that can be published in newspapers and magazines.

No pictures of women in the press -IRNA August, 12, 1998, Islamic Consultative Assembly of Iran, in its open session on Wednesday, passed a bill banning the press from using women as objects in pictures or in material… It is stipulated in the bill that the offenders shall be subjected to punishments provided for the Article 698 of the Islamic Penal Code, and in case of repetition of offense, to punishment in cuase and withdrawal of publishing license. Article 689 of the Islamic Penal Code provides for imprisonment and flogging of the offenders.

Freedom of press? A photo of a smiling woman revokes the paper’s license, New York Times, July 20, 1998; reports on the freedom of press in Iran since Khatami’s arrival. Jameah newspaper was an example in that article. In February, the newspaper Jameah started to publish articles critical of the government, color photographs of smiling women harvesting wheat, and an interview with a former prisoner. By June a court revoked their license.

Rules for Iranian Cinema (web/ukonline.co.uk/n.paradoxa/issa.html) - In summer 1996, the Ministry of Culture published the rules for Iranian cinema describing in detail the codes of censorship. Some example of forbidden acts includes showing tight feminine clothes and showing of any part of a woman’s body except the face and hand.

Women’s Magazine (www.tvs.se/womensvoice/enginter.html ) - In Iran 3 women’s magazines exist, however the lack of press freedom and freedom of association make it impossible to report the struggle of women in all aspects.

EDUCATION AND TRAINING OF WOMEN

1.6 million girl students out of school Ressalat, Aug. 21, 1999: Education Ministry Undersecretary for women affairs, Fatemeh Tondgouyan, said: "Unfortunately, due to the shortage of facilities, 1.6 million girl students in impoverished areas are deprived of education." Addressing the Conference of Principals and advisors of Girls Schools in Ardebil Province, Tondgouyan noted: "The average per capita education facilities for girls is 3.27 sq. meters versus 5 sq. meters for boys. And only a third of 915 active day & night

educational centers belong to girls." Tondgouyan added: "Regrettably, 54% of the 4.3 million girl students in middle schools and high schools are idle during their hobby hours."

SALAM Newspaper, MAY 11, 99 - Iran has a shortage of 400,000 classrooms, a state education official said.

Khatami's Ministry of Education Barred Women Teachers From Teaching Boys Older Than 10, Agence France Presse, April 4, 99

TEHRAN - The Iranian education ministry has forbidden female language instructors from holding classes for schoolboys over the age of 10, newspapers reported Sunday. "The presence of women teachers in classes with schoolboys over the age of 10 is forbidden," said a statement by education ministry noting that male instructors are not allowed to teach schoolgirls either. The Iranian regime is carrying out a campaign for the Islamization of numerous public educational and medical facilities. The parliament in April 1998, adopted a law for the "Islamization" of medical facilities focussing on the separation of sexes in Iran's hospitals.

No male teachers for female students, Iran Daily, October 6, 1997; "no male zone" for girl’s schools. Female teachers can only teach at girl’s school. This requirement will make education for girls even more difficult, inaccessible and increase the dropout rate for female students.

Shortage of Education Facility -Iran daily, Oct. 7, 97 - 200 students from Kashan University protested what they called the shortage of basic facilities in that university. High fares and shortage of transportation facilities, the undesirable quality of food, and dormitory problems were among the issues protested to by the students.

"No-male zone" Iran daily, Oct. 6, 97 - Fifty Majlis deputies submitted a plan to make the girl schools a completely "no-male zone". According to this plan, the Education Ministry must employ the teachers and faculty of girl schools, especially high schools, solely from among women.

Girl children quit school Jomhouri Islami, Aug. 14 , 97- Statistics show that every year many girl children quit school in urban and rural areas. In the last academic year alone, 54,829 girls quit school in cities and villages. Some 65% resided in the villages and 34% in the cities.

Environment

Life Threatening Pollution in Tehran, Agence France Presse, December 20

TEHRAN - Old people and children, and people with heart conditions, were advised Monday not to venture out into Tehran's smog-filled streets as pollution levels rose, the official IRAN news agency reported. The number of people turning up in hospitals in central Tehran complaining of breathing difficulties has sharply increased over the past two days.

Pollution Engulfs Iranian Capital, Associated Press, December 8, 99

TEHRAN - Iranian authorities have asked people suffering from heart and asthma problems to remain indoors after air pollution in the capital, Tehran, reached dangerous levels Wednesday, the Islamic Republic News Agency reported. Authorities have also ordered kindergartens and elementary schools to remain closed Thursday and have imposed unspecified traffic restrictions.

Last year, several thousand schools were shut down after air pollution reached more than six times the acceptable level set by the World Health Organization.

Water Shortage Threatens Iranian Cities While Officials Overspend It Free, Agence

France Presse, May 20, 99

TEHRAN - With Iran parched by a drought, authorities in the northeastern city of Gorgan have decided to create a "water police" to monitor consumption and prevent waste of the precious liquid.

The national capital, Tehran, is also in danger of an acute water shortage following an especially dry winter that has left reserves 50 percent below last year's supply, an official IRNA news agency reported March 1.

Ayatollah Hossein Nuri Hamedani told the faithful that sins such as murder, injustice and bad intention -- as well as not trusting fellow Shiite Moslems -- can keep the rain from falling. Crops are also being hit by the shortage. Iranian radio said that the wheat harvest will decline by between 2.5 and three million tones this year because of the drought.

Rice will be even more seriously affected because water supplies are not adequate to irrigate the paddies.

[Reuter on May 18, quoting state-controlled daily Arya reported "Some three percent of Tehran's population use 30 percent of its water supplies, the manager of a large dam outside the capital said. He said government offices did not pay for their water and wasted it."]

JAHAN-E EQTESAD, Newspaper, May 11, 99 - Water authorities warned residents in Tehran's high rise flats that anyone living above the third floor may not get water this summer, because of low water pressure prompted by severe shortages.

Earthquakes in South Iran Kills 26, Associated Press, May 7, 99

DUBAI - A powerful earthquake followed by about 50 aftershocks demolished village after village in southern Iran on Friday, killing at least 26 people and injuring 100, Iranian media reported.

Most of the dead were children buried under the rubble of their homes, the head of the Natural Disasters

Headquarters, Hasan Momtahen, was quoted as saying by the official Islamic Republic News Agency.

The news agency, monitored in Dubai, said two quakes of magnitude 6.8 and 5.7 struck near the cities of Shiraz and Kazerun in Fars province. Most of the damage appeared to have been in the villages surrounding Shiraz.

WOMEN AND ECONOMY, EMPLOYMENT

AND POVERTY

Jomouri Islami, May 12, 1999 - According to the daily Jomhouri Islami, only 9% of Iranian women have jobs. According to Hussein Mozaffar the Iranian Education Minister "Currently, women constitute 49.3% of the nations’ total population and girls 47% of the student population...The employment rate for women is nine percent, 72% of this being restricted to the educational sector."

International Labor Organization, quoted in Bergens Tidende, 12 July1998 -An international study comparing workforce condition for women around the world ranked Iran 108th out of 110.

IRNA, Aug 25, 1999, The country's official news agency, IRNA reported that only 0.3% of women are working at executive level. Zahra Shojai, Iranian Deputy for women's affairs, said that a large number of women are still deprived of their social rights and far from reaching an ideal point in this respect. She added that currently only 0.3% of executives in the country are women.

Legal barrier to restrict women's participation in the job force

Zanan magazine, No.55, Sept, 1999 Report by the public relations office of Tehran's Department of Education , Female teachers are strictly forbidden from attending classes of 10 year old boys in Iran. Khatami's Ministry of Education Barred Women Teachers From Teaching Boys Older Than 10.

SOBH-E EMROUZ, Newspaper, May’99 - The price of goods and services in Tehran were 19.7 percent higher year-on-year in the month to April 20, rising 4.4 percent from the previous month, the Central Bank said.

SALAM, Newspaper, May’99 - President Mohammad Khatami said a recent slump in oil prices, unemployment, and foreign debt repayments were the main economic problems facing the government.

Iran Cuts Currency Allocations to Industry by 80 Percent, Reuters, May 4, 99

TEHRAN Iran, hit by low oil income, cut state hard currency allocations to industries by 80 percent in the year to March, a senior official said in remarks published on Tuesday.

SALAM, Newspaper, April 21, 99 - More than 300 workers of an industrial plant gathered in front of the Industry Ministry for eight hours on Tuesday to protest against not being paid for the past year.

Iran Says Inflation at 20% in Year to March, Reuter, April 20, 99

TEHRAN - Inflation in Iran rose to 20 percent in the year to March, up from 17.3 percent in the previous year, Iranian state television reported on Tuesday. It quoted a senior Central Bank official as also saying that health and food costs led the price rises, registering increases of 24.9 percent and 24.8 percent respectively in the Iranian year which ended on March 20. Analysts say state inflation figures are based on official prices for a basket of commodities, but that many consumers have to buy some goods at higher black market prices. Economists put actual inflation at about twice the official figures. Inflation in the year to March 1997 stood at 23.2 percent against 49.4 percent the year before.

Iran's Disparate Economy, The Wall Street Journal, March 26, 98 -Last month, the black-market value of the Iranian rial fell to 8,000 to the dollar, compared with an official rate of 3,000 to the dollar: Iran now relies on oil for 95% of its foreign exchange, according to Akbar Karbassian, Lecturer at the Iran Institute of Banking in Tehran. Iran relies on oil and gas for 70% of its budget, he says. Thought the budget for the new year is officially balanced on the strength of tax increases, Mr. Karbassian thinks there is still a huge hidden deficit;

Poverty, Salam newspaper, Letter to the Editor, July 15, 97- I swear to God that I am sick and tired and cannot continue living like this. How can I remain silent, when I do not have a job and live in a rented house. To earn the living for my wife and five children, I had to sell the furniture, so much that we have become deprived of the most basic necessities of life. How can I remain silent when I have to evacuate our residence by August, and I do not afford to pay the deposit and rent for another place. How can I remain silent when my children are very talented, but for reason stated above, they are deprived of the opportunity for education. When the Education Department does not give any support to these type of individuals, is it right to expect the present generation to welcome every hardship in the hope that the future generations would reap the fruits of today's efforts? We are negligent of the fact that the future generations might be even more deprived.

Economy Pejvak, Farsi language radio, Sweden, July 23, 97 - Iran will face serious economic problems should it not join the World Trade Organization. Fereydoun Entezari, director for international relations in the Ministry of Industries and Mines, announced this and said, "Communications and technology are becoming universal. The countries remaining out of this trend will lose a lot... " Iran requested membership in the World Trade Organization, but was rejected due to the United States' opposition. The U.S. considers the Islamic Republic as a state sponsor of international terrorism and seeks to isolate Iran on the international level.

WOMEN IN POWER AND DECISION MAKING

The Iranian government's views and policies regarding women in decision making positions are fundamentally and inherently flawed. As a government of theocracy (religious dictatorship), the Islamic Republic of Iran is not a representative democracy.

For the past twenty years, the Iranian women have been deprived of all their fundamental human rights. The theocratic government in Iran, continues to implement the gender apartheid policy that was established by Ayatollah Khomeini twenty years ago.

Throughout the years, various mechanisms of suppression and segregation of women have been institutionalized. We would like to provide a clear and brief understanding of how the political power is distributed in Iran and respond as to why and how women are excluded from this hierarchy of leadership.

Religious interpretation acts as legal Barrier:

According to the constitution, political power has been distributed in seven domains, as follows:

1- Leadership

2- Executive(president)

3- Legislative (Majlis)

4- Judiciary

5- Assembly of experts.

6- National Security Council

7- Assembly of Expediency Discernment

The real power and authority in Iran lies with the Supreme Spiritual Leader (velayat-e-faghih), the most powerful position in Iran. This supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, controls the armed forces, the police, the security and intelligence services, radio and television, and the judicial system.

The Supreme Spiritual Leader's view on Women, Iranian State Television, 18 February 1998 , Ayatollah Khamenei's opinion of women and their place in society is the same as his predecessor Ayatollah Khomeini. This view holds that women should be wives and mothers. Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has publicly stated: "The real value of a woman is measured by how much she makes the family environment for her husband and children like a paradise."

Tehran radio, 21 July 1997 - In July 1997, Ayatollah Khamenei said that the idea of women's equal participation in society was "negative, primitive and childish."

The conditions and qualifications to participate

The conditions and qualifications stated in the constitution historically and traditionally apply only to men. This virtually disqualifies women from participating in any of the above seven domains. For example, the condition and qualification to be elected as the Religious supreme leader according to the article 109 of the law states ''Cleric Qualification is necessary to issue a decree or "Fatwa" in Islamic practice." Throughout the history of Iran, only men have held the religious qualification to issue decree for Islamic practice.

- According to article 2 of the assembly of experts' law: "the candidate must have religious qualifications to the extent that he has the ability to understand Islamic subject matters." Also the law states that the Religious supreme leader should approve the qualification of the candidates.

- According to article 115 of the condition for the presidential candidates the law states that: " The President must come from among the religious and political statesmen (Rejal)." The word Rejal literally means men of high achievement.

- According to article 162 of the condition for the attorney general. "The head of justice department and attorney general must be "mojtahed"(a religious person who is able to decree), honest, and knowledgeable in legal subject matters."

Emphasis on qualifications and titles such as Islamic knowledge to issue decree (fatwas), ejtehad, (exegesis of divine law on matters of theology and law), and righteous consultations, are requirements for candidates to the Iranian higher offices . Historically and culturally these are indications of men in positions of power. These words and phrases clearly eliminate women from the in Iran. Last but not least, we should again remember that as recent as last year, "the Parliament has approved a law prohibiting the discussion of women's issues or rights outside the interpretation of Sharia (Islamic Law) established by the ruling mullahs.

Women in legal profession

The constitution also stipulates that women can not be appointed as judges, religious leaders, or elected as president of the country. Women are considered incapable of making important decisions. The law dealing with requirement to appoint judges, adopted on May 4, 1982, stipulates that "judges are appointed among men with the following qualifications: having faith, being just, making a practical commitment to Islamic principals and being loyal to the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Gender apartheid

General Legal Restriction on women - According to the clerical Iranian regime's constitution and civil code, "a woman does not have the right to leave her home without her husband's permission, not even to attend her father's funeral, "the husband can prohibit his wife from taking up employment incompatible with family interests or the dignity of himself or his wife".

Article 1117 puts the authority as to whether a wife can have an active social presence or not at the disposal of her husband: "A husband can deny his wife any profession or job which would run counter to the interests of the family or the wife's dignity."

This discriminatory approach is embedded in the regime's laws.

Article 1105 of the Civil Law: " In the relation between couples, heading the family is the husband's attribute." The term "attribute" refers to an unalterable intrinsic matter. That is to say that from the beginning the universe was based on this pillar.

In another words, Men in Iran are granted the power to make all family decisions, including the movement of women and custody of the children. According to the Judiciary chief Mohammad Yazdi, "your wife, who is your possession, is in fact, your slave..." (Resalat, 15 December 1996)

Only 0.3% of executives are women IRNA, Aug. 25, 1999: Zahra Shojaii, Khatami’s deputy for women’s affairs, said that a large number of women are still deprived of their social rights and far from reaching an ideal point in this respect. She added that currently only 0.3% of executives in the country are women.

The Iranian Presidents comments on the role of women- Placing women in decision making roles is the furthest issue in current President’s mind as he himself expressed " One of the West's most serious mistakes was the emancipation of women, which led to the disintegration of families. Staying at home does not mean marginalization. Being a housewife does not prevent a woman from having a role in the destiny of her people. We should not think that social activity means working outside the home. Housekeeping is among one of the most important jobs." (The Daily Salaam, 11 May 1997)

No Authority for female judges, Tehran Radio, July 31, 98; Judiciary Chief Mohammad Yazdi told the Friday prayers congregation on July 31: "Some time ago we promoted a lady to the status of a judge. Then they created an uproar in the world that bewildered me. The counter-revolutionaries inside the country wrote that pressure by Iranian women forced the Islamic Republic to retreat and give a judicial rank to a woman... We have 99 women who have judicial positions... The women I mentioned hold positions in the judiciary…The they receive salaries, they attend trials, they provide counsel, but they do not preside over trials..."

Men and women are not Equal- Jomhouri Islami, Oct. 4, 97 - Addressing those who claim that Islam views men and women as equal, Ayatollah Fazel Lankarani emphasized, "Who told you that there is no difference between woman and man? I do not wish to say that women are deficient in thinking, understanding, knowledge and philosophy. God, however, has bestowed some privileges upon men, which he did not bestow upon women. Do we want to abide by Islam or by the views of some sister? Dear sister! What kind of a knowledge do you have? We have studied Islam for 50-60 years, and still do not understand the whole story! How could you express any views about the laws of Islam, when you have not studied anything?"

Women's committee members are half men Hamshahri daily, Aug. 24, 97 - Elections for the board of directors of the Committee on Women, Family and Youth was carried out today in Majlis. Marzieh Dastjerdi was elected chairwoman, Ibrahim Azizi first vice chairman, Ali Mo'alemi, second vice chairman, Monireh Nobakht rapporteur, Hamid Taraqqi first secretary and Elaheh Rastgoo second secretary... On the reason why some of the woman deputies did not become members of this committee, one Majlis deputy said: "Based on the plan ratified in the Majlis, not all women can become members of committees."

Where are the women? Frankfurter Rundschaw, August 13, 97 - And where are the women who were supposed to occupy government seats? So, women are like animals who are only good for vote and for theatrics (as deputy to the president). In the previous elections, they were not approved to run for presidency. As ministers, they will not be tolerated by the parliament and will only endanger Khatami's all-man platoon. Is this worth it? This is a good question for women, whose systematic suppression is the main nucleus of the mullahs' regime.

Women and Armed Conflict

More than 4,000 war disabled are women Qods, Sept. 27, 1999: More than 4,000 women, between 14 and 70 years of age, were disabled in the war, the head of women’s affairs in the Foundation for the Deprived told journalists.

Women’s role in defense and security, Jomhouri Islami, Oct. 5, 97 - The first congress to study women's role in defense and security was held in Kermanshah. General Asghar Jamali, military advisor to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei, addressed the gathering. He said in his speech: "Since all the creatures have an instinct for defense, women must positively respond to this instinct just as men do.

Women's role in wars are not limited to nursing, giving services and attending to the needs of the

wounded. One of the major influences women can exert is to have high spirit and encourage their

husbands and sons."

Deployment of minors for war Hamshahri daily, Oct. 5, 97 - On the occasion of the beginning of the new academic year in Iran, Mohammad Baqer Zolqadr, deputy Commander of the Guards Corps, said: "Students who study in the Guards Corps high schools must be sensitive to the destiny of the revolution and be prepared for armed defense at all times."