Iranian Women Demanding More Power

Via NY Transfer News * All the News That Doesn't Fit

source - walterlx@earthlink.net

Iranian women want power, not just make-up

06/02/2001 [Xinhau via chinadaily.com]

TEHRAN: After four years of small improvements in their lot,
Iranian women want more than just the right to wear make-up
and nail-varnish. They want a share in power.

Once the vanguard of the 1979 revolution that heralded Islamic
rule, women flocked to vote for President Mohammad Khatami in
1997 with high hopes of more rights and freedoms.

Now they are beaten less often for improper Islamic dress,
they mix more freely with men in public, and cosmetics are
liberally applied where once they were banned.

But Khatami appointed only one woman to his cabinet, Massoumeh
Ebtekar, as vice-president responsible for the environment,
and Islamic conservatives have resisted attempts to increase
women's rights. Though higher than in most other Muslim
countries, the number of women in top jobs is still low.

"In theory, our government says women are equal. But in
practice and in our culture this is not the case," 20-year-old
Golnaz said.

"It is necessary to continue positive moves which has started
since 1997. As a first step we should have two female
ministers in the next cabinet," said reformist woman MP
Jamileh Kadivar.

The mild-mannered Khatami, an almost certain winner in the
upcoming June 8 vote, has wooed women voters with promises of
more power. "We have to try to increase the role of women in
decision-making in politics and society," he wrote in a
message read out to a women's election rally in the capital
Tehran. "Women are not second-class, they are no less than
men."

Women and girls with pictures of the smiling president pinned
to their black chadors responded with wild cheers and
applause.

While the mid-ranking Shi'ite cleric may well appoint more
women to his government, he will have difficulty changing many
laws which discriminate against women.

"Existing laws for women should be developed, otherwise we
cannot talk about equality between two sexes," says
sociologist Soraya Meknun. "Khatami was not able to fulfill
all his promises, but we should continue our demands."

Men have an absolute right to divorce their wives without
having to produce any justification and, in the vast majority
of cases, get custody over the children. Women can keep boys
only up to the age of 2 and girls until 7. After that, the
father has the right to custody.

But Iran's increasingly assertive women are suing for divorce
more than in the past. Experts believe that is the main cause
of the increase of divorce rate. "Women are becoming more and
more aware of their rights and are not tolerating bad
behaviour by their husbands at any price," lawyer Mina Davoodi
said.

Yet a woman's evidence in court is worth only half a man's and
for some offences, it is not admissible at all.

Parliament, dominated by pro-Khatami reformers, passed a law
last year making it compulsory for girls under the age of 15
and boys under 18 to have court approval to get married.
Currently Iran's Islamic sharia law allows girls as young as
nine and boys of 14 to get wed.

But the conservative Guardian Council overturned the new law,
designed to protect young girls from enforced marriages.

The council, made up of six senior clerics and six lawyers, is
empowered to make sure legislation conforms with Islamic law.
Any fundamental changes in women's status are beyond the power
of parliament.

Despite such setbacks, Iranian women enjoy greater rights and
opportunities that in many Middle Eastern states, especially
the conservative Gulf Arab states. They can study, work, vote,
drive, travel without their husbands' permission and practise
almost any profession except judge or president.

Women account for more than 60 per cent of university
students.

Some Iranian feminists argue that strict Islamic segregation
of the sexes in public and the compulsory wearing of modest
dress - either the all-enveloping chador (veil) or a headscarf
and loose-fitting full-length coat - protects women's dignity
and equality. Few women openly criticize such restrictions.

A record 518 women candidates contested last year's
parliamentary elections and 12 won election. They have asked
Khatami to appoint five women ministers in his future cabinet.
Ministers have to be confirmed by the male-dominated
parliament.

"President Khatami's support increased Iranian women's
self-confidence, and we observed their success in the (1999)
city council elections. There were two women among the first
five elected city council members in 50 cities," said Kadivar.

But the women who registered to run in next week's
presidential election were all disqualified by the Guardian
Council, which vets candidates.

Khatami did not criticize the decision. Indeed, he may have
been privately relieved, since women are one of the main voter
groups he needs in his bid for a second landslide victory.

 
=================================================================
  NY Transfer News Collective   *   A Service of Blythe Systems 
           Since 1985 - Information for the Rest of Us          
              339 Lafayette St., New York, NY 10012             
  http://www.blythe.org                  e-mail: nyt@blythe.org 
=================================================================
 
nytfem-06.03.01-18:05:45-7809