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Iran: Females

Answer

Iranian leaders argue that the situation of women in Iran is better than in other countries in the region and are rightly proud that women make up over half of all university students. However, women remain largely excluded from positions of authority, and gender based inequality is widespread and reinforced by Iranian law. We are particularly concerned by the treatment of Iranian women connected to the Campaign for Equality (which aims to collect 1 million signatures on a petition demanding changes to discriminatory laws and educate women about their rights). Many, throughout the country, have been arrested for peaceful activities in support of the campaign and sentenced to prison terms or flogging sentences on charges such as 'acting against national security' and 'propaganda against the system'. The Campaign's website has been blocked by the Iranian authorities 16 times. With the EU, we continue to make our concerns about this known to the Iranian authorities, and have done so at least four times this year. In a public declaration issued on 6 August the EU condemned the arrest of three women's rights activists arrested in Kurdistan province and called on the Iranian authorities to"““release these activists unconditionally as soon as possible and to drop all charges against them and other activists of the One Million Signatures campaign who are still under investigation or arrest””."The EU condemned this persecution and intimidation once again in a human rights démarche delivered on 6 October, and called for the release of 16 detained women's rights activists connected to the campaign.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

482 c165W; 204324

Session

2007-08

Subjects

Women Iran

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk