IRAN
Teenage
sisters commit suicide due to poverty
Two
young sisters in a village on the outskirts of Farouj, Northern Khorassan
province, committed suicide because of poverty. Their family found the bodies of
the two sisters named Massoumeh N., 15, and Zeynab N., 14, who had hanged
themselves with two ropes were found in a stable near their home in Bash
village. Their father, a 70-year-old pitman, told the police: “I have six
children and my only source of income is to work as a ditch-digger, which pays
3,000 to 4,000 tumans ($1.60 to $2.20) a day. We had no differences in the
family; my daughters did this out of poverty. (Fars News Agency, Dec.
16)
73% of applicants for AIDS, addiction social aid are
women
The
executive director of the Socially Harmed Support Association said his group has
set up a hotline for social emergencies and 73% of the persons who call for aid
are women. Khosro Mansourian said, “Unfortunately, 73% of the callers on the
hotline are women seeking relief and psychological support for AIDS and
addiction… 56% of the women who apply for social services for AIDS are married,
and 83% are women with higher education.”
He
said issues beyond poverty and ignorance affect the spread of AIDS, adding,
“Issues such as political and social problems have more of an impact on the
spread of this disease.” (ILNA, Dec. 17)
Prostitution
age dropping due to lack of social aid
Shahryar
Moshiri, a Majlis [parliament] deputy from Bandar Abbas, said, “There is no
serious or tangible impetus within the seventh Majlis to support women. This is
especially so in the women’s faction, which is expected to be the main defenders
of women in society.”
“One of the
main reasons for the increase in prostitution and drop in the age of
prostitution in Iran is the lack of social security for women. Unfortunately,
women who have no income do not receive any financial aid. How long can a woman
tolerate hunger, misery and woe? Ultimately, after months of bearing through
this, she will certainly be dragged into wretched methods. Otherwise, no one
would be willing to auction her own dignity. (ILNA, Nov.
24)
92% divorce rate in northwestern city
The
number of registered marriages and divorces in Jaafar Abad, Ardebil province,
for the first five months of the year were 109 and 99 respectively. That means
the percentage of divorce in relation to marriage stands at 92%. The lowest
registered divorce age was 13 for women and 26 for men. The most important
reasons for divorce include the lack of familiarity with the spouse before
marriage [forced marriage], and the wide age gap. (Mehr Ardebil Weekly, Dec.
17)
Everyday
one person sets self on fire in Ilam province
A
member of Ilam city council (western Iran) said unemployment, addiction and
suicide are so high in the province that every year, over 306 people set
themselves on fire. Most of the cases are women. (Etemad daily, Dec.
10)
Iran hangs
woman in north-east town prison
A woman was
hanged in prison in the north-eastern town of Shirvan. The woman, only
identified as Akram N., was accused of stabbing to another woman to death in
2001. (ISNA, Dec.
10)
Women’s
official rejects CEDAW as ‘blind imitation of other countries’
Commenting
on whether Iran would join the CEDAW, the president of the Center for Women and
Family Affairs said, “Widespread investigations must be conducted before Iran
joins the convention. Our measures must be based on knowledge and not blind
imitation of other countries. Just because other countries accuse Iran of
failing to observe women’s rights does not mean that it must join the
CEDAW.”
Dr.
Nasrin Soltankhah said, “Accepting any international pledge and agreement by the
Islamic epublic must be based on the three principles of honor, wisdom and
interests, so we must examine how effective Iran’s joining the CEDAW would be in
realizing women’s rights.” (Mehr News Agency, Nov.
12)
Women
driven out of social life in southern port city
Soaring
unemployment among educated women in the city of Dayyer in Bushehr province
(southern Iran) has worried the women. Robabeh Amini, advisor to the deputy
governor, says, “Up until 1985, there was only one woman in Dayyer with a
diploma. But now that the number of educated women has increased, none of them
have jobs. About 500 female university graduates in Dayyer are unemployed.
Amini
added, “Even the seashore here has turned into a men’s area. Women do not have
the right to walk on the beach.” (Kanoun-e Zanan website, Dec. 16)
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Categories: Releases