Singapore International School @Vungtau

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Group Projects

Overview about gender gaps/gender inequality in Iran

Iran are now one of the worst country in the world in terms of gender inequality in employment.
According to the World Economic Forum report in 2018 about gender gaps in workplace, Iran
ranked 142 out of 149 countries. The number of women participating in the Iran job market is
surprisingly low with less than one-fifth of the market(16.8%), comparing with the number of
man participation at 71.4%. With inequality,wide gender gap in employment, which has lead into
an unbalanced society, lower the chance of developing the country's economy as an increase in
the rate of women unemployment.
Women in Iran had stood up and fought for gender equality during Iranian Revolution called
Shad between 1977 and 1979. Women groups and women in political groups had formed many
associations to protest against the government for their rights. The protest were going strongly,
women was in ruling, demands from the women association like lower marriage age and
wearing cosmetics in public had been approved by the government but temporarily. With limited
support, the women association were defeated by the government. In 1980 the Iranian Islamic
Republic had banned women participation in political like judges or women lawyers. The
marriage age for girls had decreased from 15 years to 9 years old, women banned from family
planning and have no right to divorce.
There are some laws in Iran that prohibited women to do everyday activities, this bring injustices
that women in Islamic country have to continue facing them. Women are banned from working
in a coffee shop and it is illegal for a coffee shop to hiring women employment.. They are also
banned from being judges.They are forbidden to enter the stadium and watching man playing
sport. They are not allowed to wear hats,tight clothes that show body curves. Women don’t have
the right to divorce but men have the right to do so. Girl at the age 9 are not allowed to reject
any decision from the parents about marriage.
Women employment rates in Iran
Women in Iran take up half of its population but the rates of women unemployment is as twice
as higher as men. According to Center for Statistics, “Women from the age of 15 and 29 has the
rates of unemployment up to 42 percent but men unemployment rates at the same age group is
only 20 percent.” Women in this country have a small chance of getting hired for a job and with
those who already have a job they have to face many struggles like unequal pay. The
government of Iran do not created an opportunity for women in the workplace, they don’t
provide equality for women in job market.That is the reason there existed gender gap in social.
They have laws that banned women from working in a workplace that the husband disagree at.
However less women in the force also created an advantages for the economic.As Iranian
women participate less in the workforce, and it given the country more social economic
development and higher education graduation rates. In the recent decades, there were more
female student than male student in the university. However when female university student are
graduated they are less successful than male student. The unemployment rates of female
graduated student remain high. In a survey in labor forces, 22 percentage of them are
unemployed, and for male student the number only remain at 10.5%.
In labor force participation, the number of men labours are 63 percentage, and women are 14%,
it means that in every 100 employee, 84 people are male and only 16 are female. In higher
education group, women’s participation rate in the job market is about 37% and almost half of
the men rates.
Unequal pay are also a long lasting economic problem alonging with gender inequality,
According to IranSalary, the data show that “women earned salary 27% less than men average
salary in 2018. This number has increase from 23% from 2017 to 27% in 2018”, This mean this
gender gap in Iran is getting wider overyear. The data in thee IranSalary show that larger
company is more contributed to the gender gap, women in managing or high ranking position in
the company is extreme low, with 17%, men usually earn more than women.
What are the factors that affect gender inequality in Iran
There are some factors that lead or affected gender inequality, Iran are one of the country in the
world with a large majority of the people are muslim, they are a Islamic country, therefor
religious play a large part in the gender gaps, beside that lack of education also a factors that
affected gender inequality. In muslim country like Iran, women don’t have the right make
important decision in her life, they are not allow to travel internationally or to work at a workplace
where their husband don’t allow to. The religious belief that man are the main labor the bring in
the income for the family and women are likely to do household work and take care of children.
Lack of education also a factor that contribute to gender equality. In the muslim world 65% of
women are illiterate and men are only 40%. With moderation, the number of women who are
educated in Iran are higher by year but the chance of percentages of women getting a job are
lower than man. The lack of women in political participation are also the reason why gender gap
remain wide
What are the possible solution to reduces gender gaps in workplace.
The challenges that women in Iran are facing right now, the factors that affect and contributed
in expanding the gender gap are laws, religious practices, early marriage, education,
healthcare,job opportunity and pay. Considering closing the gender gap in Iran are one of the
most difficult and complex issue to discuss. It will take approximately 217 year to bring equality
to women in workplace , according to the world economic forum .This are some possible
solution that I can think of to reduce the gender gap on work place in the countries Iran. The
Iran government should provide more opportunity in the workplace so women can be treated
fairly and equally in the workplace, like equal pay or equal gender recruitment. Iran countries
should realise that supporting women employment will lead great economic advancement.
Countries will high economic rate usually have narrower gender gap and with countries with low
economic rates would have wider gender inequality, therefore country like Iran should reduce
gender gap to be able to develop a better economy.