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Abstract
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On 16 September 2022, the Woman, Life, Freedom movement was sparked by the tragic death of Jina Mahsa Amini, a young Iranian-Kurdish woman. She was taken into custody in Iran by the morality police for non-compliance with the mandatory dress code for women. Four days later, she died, succumbing to her injuries inflicted by the police.
As an Iranian woman and researcher focusing on state violence from a gender perspective, I believe there are two distinct ways to frame this recent movement in Iran. Given the common framing of Mahsa's death as a sign of gender inequality and the significance of gender in global health discourse, an overview of women's health issues in Iran helps to contextualise the first viewpoint.
Despite four decades of turmoil, healthcare in Iran has improved with increased life expectancy, and reduced maternal mortality rates.12 But gender disparities endure. Despite high education levels (99% literacy rate for women aged 15-24 and more than 60% of university students are women), participation of women in the workforce is only 18.3%.34 Women have limited political representation and face legal inequalities in divorce, custody, and inheritance, as well as criminal laws. They also need spousal consent for certain health services, including abortion. Limited access to reproductive health services in particular affects economically disadvantaged women. In addition, child marriage and intimate partner violence persist, linked to social class, poverty, age, education, and unemployment. Lastly, there is higher prevalence of mental health problems among women, with the highest suicide risk in poorer provinces and among ethnic minorities, particularly Kurdish women.
Poor health in women stems from unequal resource distribution tied to socio-economic factors. For instance, women in deprived areas have a life expectancy nine years shorter than those in the capital Tehran...
Language: en |