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DEFENDERS
7
Interview with Top Iranian
Female Entrepreneur
A Rview of
Women
,
s Capacities
& Challenges in
Iran
By: Farzane Mostofifar
Supervising editor
Currently, considering that women
make up half the population of the
world, and two thirds of working
hours are conducted by women, only
one tenth of the income of the world
and one hundredth of property
ownership belongs to women,
therefore inequality for women exists
more or less in all societies
In today’s world one of the most important criteria
for assessing the development level of a country,
is the status that women have in the country in
various areas of education, health, employment and
participation. This is why the world’s perspective
has more than any time before been concentrated
on women’s empowerment, and shows the fact
that the all sided promotion of women’s conditions
has got a key concept in sustainable development
and establishment of social justice. But the realities
of today’s world are far away from the beautiful
perspectives that have been drawn for the future.
Currently, considering that women make up half
the population of theworld, and two thirds of working
hours are conducted by women, only one tenth of the
income of the world and one hundredth of property
ownership belongs to women, therefore inequality
for women exists more or less in all societies.
Inequality shows itself in various areas. For
example domestic work to create a livable place,
raising of children and provision of fundamental
living services are crucial. But the point being is
domestic work differs from other occupations from
various perspectives, because it is unpaid and usually
takes place in a place separate from the public
domain. This is why there are no official laws in this
regard and the job is repetitive and endless.
The employment of women has lots of positive
effects from psychological, social and economic
aspects. But employment for women in the public
domain is not without challenges. In Iran too, just like
in other parts of the world, more or less inequalities
exist in women’s employment. Furthermore,
according to the Labour Act, the perks that have
been given to women labourors and workers, has
resulted in the hiring of women to be very costly
for employers, and some of them in dodging the
law, in order not give maternity leaves, the right to
breastfeeding, setting up of day care centres, do not
employ women. As a result, the unemployment rate
for women under 29 is at over 50 percent.