TEHRAN – A total amount of 2.3 trillion rials (approximately $55 million) has been allocated for the insurance of women heads of family in the current Iranian calendar year (March 2018-March 2019(, ISNA reported on Thursday.

The women and their children receive allowances, and benefit from health, insurance, and job creation services, as well as down payments for housing.

According a report published by IRNA in 2017, there were around 2.5 million breadwinner women in the country. 

Currently, a number of 180,000 families, making up 500,000 people, are receiving financial aids from the State Welfare Organization.

About 71 percent of breadwinner women have taken the responsibility of their families due to loss of their husbands. Some 11 percent of breadwinning women are divorced, 10 percent are disabled or handicapped or have drug-addicted husbands, and about 5 percent of them are unmarried girls who are taking caring of their parents or their whole families, the official explained.

NM/MQ/MG