The Shifting Landscape for Iran’s Women
Surprising Insights from a key country in the Middle East
July 27, 2014
1. 60% of Iranian university students are female.
2. The unemployment rate for women under 25 stands at 42.3% in Iran – double the average for young people.
3. The World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Report ranked Iran 130th out of 136 countries for women’s economic participation and opportunity.
4. Population growth in Iran has fallen from 3.2% in the early 1980s to 1.2% in recent years, due in part to family planning policies.
5. In Iran, divorce is on the rise and marriage is declining — as women refuse to have children and instead seek higher education and more senior-level jobs.
6. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s supreme leader does not consider women’s unemployment a primary concern.
7. However, Iran’s pro-reform first vice-president considers women’s unemployment “a serious threat” and priority for the government.
Source: Iranian Women Rights Remain Hostage to Political Infighting (Financial Times).
Takeaways
60% of Iranian university students are female yet unemployment stands at 42.3% for women under 25.
The World Economic Forum ranked Iran 130th out of 136 countries for women’s economic participation and opportunity.
Iran’s population growth has fallen to 1.2% in recent years due in part to family planning policy.
