TEHRAN – The Majlis (Iranian parliament) approved on Sunday the generalities of a bill aimed to protect the dignity of women against violence.

In January 2021, the administration submitted the long-awaited bill to the parliament.

The bill titled, Protection, Dignity, and Security of Women against Violence, had been under review since September 2019. It criminalizes any act or behavior that causes “physical or mental harm” to women “as a vulnerable gender”.

It recommends a fund for safeguarding women’s rights with provisions for providing medical expenses for the victims of violence and imparting skill development training to them.

For the first time in Iran's legal system, this bill defines violence against women and considers various types of violence as "crimes" and provides "punishments" for them.

At the same time, it has set tasks for the relevant judicial and executive bodies to prevent the occurrence of violence against women and provide support to the victims of violence by directing and regulating the aforementioned bodies.

MG