TEHRAN –It has been four years since a bill on protecting women’s dignity against violence was first submitted to the parliament for approval. However, the bill is still in the process of beig approved.

Titled ‘Protection, Dignity, and Security of Women against Violence’, the bill has 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, considering 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.

About one and a half years ago, in April 2023 the parliament approved the generalities of the bill, IRNA reported.

Apparently, the bill needs to be amended to suit women’s rights in Iranian, Islamic society. 

Once approved, and implemented, the it will eliminate different types of violence against women and further improves their positions in society.

Empowering women 

Women’s participation in decision-making councils of ministries, insurance coverage for rural women, mothers with three or more children, and pregnant women are some of the great measures taken by the administration in recent years.

The status of women in various fields was improved after the Islamic Revolution and women, as half of the country’s population, have been leading in many fields.

The Islamic Revolution provided them a chance to build their distinct identity and they have been tremendously successful in doing that.

There were extensive changes in the fields of science, education, economy, employment, and presence in management positions for women. Now a large part of activists in various fields of academia, business, and management are made up of capable Iranian women.

Education as a social value for women is seen as real freedom for them. Illiteracy among women and girls has been nearly eradicated as the literacy rate reached 99.3 percent and the ratio of female to male students has increased by 28 percent.

According to the latest data, nearly 60 percent of all university students are females today. The percentage of women in higher education has increased nearly 21 times since the Revolution.

The notable presence of women in the education sector has had a remarkable impact on the job market of the country as well, with women taking more jobs in both the public and private sectors.

The empowerment programs have also resulted in the self-sufficiency of more than 126,000 women heads of household.

According to Majid Maleki, an official with the Social Security Organization, there are more than 511,000 housewives in the country under insurance coverage. 

All the women between 18 and 50 years of age can apply for insurance, IRNA quoted the official as saying.

MT/MG