Domestic Violence Against Woman In Iran

Domestic Violence Against Woman in Iran

Morgan Shafer
Wayne State University

Domestic Violence Against Woman In Iran

Abstract
Women in the Iran culture have no rights of their own. Within having no rights the women
of Iran are permitted to be abused. It is morally accepted for women to be abused by their
husbands. They do not have any laws or policies to help them get away from the abuser. The
women are just supposed to tolerate it, and if they choose not to they could perhaps never see
their children again. Much different from the American culture there is also no history of
collective data of what the domestic violence consists of in the Iran culture.

Domestic Violence Against Woman In Iran

Domestic Violence within the Iran Culture

Domestic Violence is seen as a social problem within America, we grew up knowing that
boys hitting girls was unacceptable. In Iran, however, that is not the case. Women are seen as
property of men. Iran has presented an unequal legal system so just that happens; women stay the
property of men. Men have no punishments when he severely batters a woman or even kills. Iran
is run as a dominant authoritarian state which goes by their traditions values and religious beliefs
(Moradian, 2009).

History
The Islamic Republican of Iran has never acknowledged the existence of domestic
violence. There has never been any official statistical data on how many women have suffered
domestic violence, until recently. The official government agency, The Census Bauru in Iran, has
never made a study on domestic violence and has never allowed international organizations
either. In 2004 that changed, three agencies, The Women's Center for Presidential Advisory, The
Interior Ministry, and The Ministry of Higher Education, joined together to undertake a project
about the domestic violence in Iran (Moradiah, 2009). A 32 volume study was concluded after
several years. These volumes include findings regarding violence towards women and children,
family issues, divorce, and marriages, remarriages, the statues and effect of education and work
on violence in the capital cities of each province (Moradiah, 2009). The 32 volume study is not
available for the public to view. Although, the article stated that there were some disagreements
about the research concerning the bias of the researchers with the things they had found. The part
of the research that was able to be seen by the public was the nine main categories of domestic
violence that includes the following:

Domestic Violence Against Woman In Iran

Verbal Abuse, Physical Abuse, Emotional Abuse, Economical Abuse, Legal Abuse,
Educational Abuse, Neglect, Sexual Abuse and Honor and killing. Based on this studys finding
66% of married women in Iran experience some form of domestic violence within the year of
their marriage by their husband or the in-laws.
American is far from how Irans government chooses to run things; American was once run
with women being property of men. Martin Luther stated, Take women from their housewifery
and they are good for nothing.If women get tired and die of bearing; there is no harm in that:
let them die as long as they bear; they are made for that (Day, P. J., & Schiele, J. 2013). In the
1500s women were just supposed to cook, go to church and take care of the family. In these
times thats all the womens rights would allow them to do in America. America has come a long
way from what it was 500 years ago. America has progressed with the issue of domestic violence
and has made it illegal, as for Iran they are just now allowing a study to be conducted on
domestic violence, which they find to be nonexistent. These two countries are run differently,
which would be why the results of social issues do not match up. Being domestic violence is not
seen as a problem in Iran, but it is in America.
Services
In the judicial system there are no laws that prevent the action of domestic violence. In the
Islamic penal code domestic violence is encouraged within families. Article 209 of Irans
constitution states that a womans life is valued only half as much as a mans life (Official
Law, 2005). Women have no policies or shelters to protect them from this abuse. They are
completely controlled by their husbands. Article 105 of the civil code states that A woman
cannot leave her home without her husband's permission, even to attend her father's funeral
(Official Law, 2005) Women are taught to tolerate the domestic violence in Iran; they dont

Domestic Violence Against Woman In Iran

speak about it with their families and are terrified to go to the courts about it because they could
never see their child again. The women in Iran would rather continue to be assaulted then never
see their child again. It has been brought to the Iran governments attention that women would
like more laws protecting them and battered shelters, but the judicial and political systems have
not accepted this far. The article stated that they think the dangers of these types of shelters
outweigh the possible benefits(Moradiah, 2009). The Iran government does not see domestic
violence as a problem because through tradition and religion a man can beat his wife. It shows a
sign of love, when a man beats his wife the woman thinks its a jealous reaction that is from a
matter of love and attention. Since domestic violence involves the Iran religion and their
traditional values there has not been any services provided to help these woman. Domestic
violence is supposed to happen in their world and is morally acceptable.
A womans right activist states that the high number of runaway girls and the number of
suicides of woman in Iran is the result of the domestic violence inside of the home. Although the
public awareness of domestic violence is growing which could very well be from the last fifteen
years. Womans issues with masters and PH.D thesis have been skyrocketing due to the fact of
the large percentage of womans higher education and universities in Iran. Universities are now
however, trying to not let students research the topic of womans social issues because the results
will not cause any progress or improvements. The papers simply sit in the libraries and collect
dust, which can be very discouraging(Moradiah, 2009). While Iran does not think of domestic
violence as a problem, America is spending a billion of dollars trying to help domestic violence
victims. America has a Violence Against Woman Act policy that helps prevent woman from
getting abused along with over 2000 shelters that help the woman get away from her abuser and
helping her get back on her feet (Prah, 2006). They will provide the victim with the basic living

Domestic Violence Against Woman In Iran

needs and provide food and child care (Smith and Segal, 2014). These shelters go through many
measures to protect the women that they are servicing, making sure they are always safe.
Impacts Of The Policy
Since Irans government believes that domestic violence is acceptable and they have no
available policies to protect those women who are abused there is no stigma, discrimination or
prejudices that impact the nonexistent policy. Family courts are not permitted to provide women
any protection from their abusive husbands (Esfandiari, 2003). Women in Iran have nothing to
stop them from getting abused; they are just supposed to take it. The women are discriminated
against as a whole. They have to ask for permission to go outside, even to her fathers funeral.
The Article 18 of passport law states married women require their husbands permission to
apply for a passport (Official Law, 2005). The women of Iran have no rights at all and if they
choose to stand up for themselves they could be slashed or never see her children again. Its a
loose, loose situation in both aspects. The article stated that having to endure being away from
their children is the worst problem and violence, in many cases they give in (Esfandiari, 2003).
This is so much different in American, even in the 1500s when domestic violence was first
noticed as an issue woman had no rights. There were still laws being passed like spousal abuse
later in the 1641 in the western part of America (Mantel, 2013). Domestic Violence was still
acceptable at this point in America, but they were in the process of giving women some rights
that would help them escape from the domestic violence.
The discrimination in Iran is so much different than in American also, women in America
were never told what to wear. It was their jobs to stay home in clean, cook and go to church
during this period. In Iran the women dont have rights to do what they want or what to wear
without getting abused. They are told to be covered head to toe and if not the Article 102 of Iran

Domestic Violence Against Woman In Iran

Constitution states that Women who appear on streets and in public without the prescribed
Islamic Hejab will be condemned to 74 strokes of the lash (Official Law, 2005). Another
article stated if a woman appeared in public unveiled the police would insult her before they
would arrest her and take her to jail for the judge to decide a jail term or a fine (Esfandiari,
2003). In the same article a humans right watch researcher from New York stated that the
Islamic dress code is a violation of womens rights (Esfandiari, 2003). Which is believed to be
true in the United States, but in Iran the discrimination stems from their traditional beliefs and
religious backgrounds. Women are stripped from all their rights, but they really dont know any
different because that is how their culture is. Its just the same in America but a different aspect,
we have been taught that domestic violence is not acceptable and rights between men and
women are to be equal. Even though in America thats not how it all started, weve learned from
those instances and started making laws and policies to make America a better and fair country
for everyone.
Compare and Contrast
These two countries are run my two completely different types of government, but still
have some of the same qualities with also some major differences. Iran is run as a dominant
authoritarian state which goes by their traditions values and religious beliefs. America is a
democratic government in which the people of this country vote for what they want. America and
Iran started off the same way, not believing or seeing the problem with domestic violence.
Women had no rights in both these countries, although it is still the same for Iran today it is not
for America. During the 1800s is when these two countries would be start becoming different.
The United States started passing laws about domestic violence, they were not too strict at this
point and domestic violence was still allowed. Its hard to say what was going on in Iran during

Domestic Violence Against Woman In Iran

these early years because they did not keep any records of anything and they never allowed
researchers to collect data on womens social issues. As far as the research that is available, Iran
has and still is at this point in time still not allowing women to have right and domestic violence
is still acceptable.
The United States did not band domestic violence all together; it was a long period of time
where little things would happen like in Mississippi the Supreme Court upholds a common law a
husband couldnt beat his wife with a rod no thicker than his thumb (Mantel, 2013). All these
laws led up to the policy the violence against woman act (VAWA), which encouraged mandatory
arrest for domestic violence, fund shelters and also created the National Domestic Violence
Hotline (Mantel, 2013). Iran differs from the United States because Iran has no laws or policies
to protect the women from domestic abuse. According to an old Iranian saying: "Women should
sacrifice themselves and tolerate." That's how many if not most women deal with domestic
violence (Esfandiari, 2003). In the United States women dont need to deal with the domestic
violence they have resources provided through the policies that help them get away from their
abuser. The US funds billions of dollars to help these victims, providing them with legal services
and shelters to go to. Iran wont even help with research for the abuse of the domestic violence
victims; they feel its not going to cause progression or improvements so why waste time doing
the research.
Although the United States and Iran had similar views on woman not having rights in the
beginning they have way different views on todays society and how their governments should
be ran. The United States has come a long way with women not having rights and domestic
abuse being acceptable to not having any tolerate for it at all in todays society. The US has
provided a number of resources to help a victim of domestic violence. And even though Iran is

Domestic Violence Against Woman In Iran

looked at differently than the United States researchers have to remember that each country has
their own culture values. Domestic violence isnt acceptable in the US, but because of traditional
beliefs and religious views domestic violence is acceptable in Iran. The lack of research that has
been done in Iran because of their government researchers may never really know the extent of
the domestic violence that goes on in Iran because unlike the United State they do not allow
research to be documented and made public for people to view.
Relationships To The Code Of Ethics and Values
During my social work experience if I ever came across a women or family from Iran, I
would have to know the background of this family. One of the codes of ethics, Cultural
Competence and Social Diversity, knowing the religious beliefs and their traditional values I
would have a little bit of an understanding about how this culture behaves. I would have to know
and do some research about this culture to give the family the help they would need. Since it is
so different from the American culture they may need different resources than I would typically
give the American family. I would also have to respect, another code of ethics, how it is that their
culture acts. Even though it is so much different than the American culture I would have to put
that aside and understand their values and beliefs. I would have to respect that they believe in
domestic violence, that it is normal. Not every person Im going to work with is going to have
the same values or beliefs as I am, just like people from Iran. I have to respect that things that
are not right in America have different meaning in different parts of the world.
As for the values, service, is one that I thought related to these kinds of traditional values
and beliefs of people who have different cultures. It is my job as a social worker to service
people to the best of my ability. Based on the information that I researched I would have to find
different resources to help provide for the family without discriminating against their beliefs and

Domestic Violence Against Woman In Iran

10

values. Another value that had a relation with the domestic violence in Iran was dignity and
worth. The women in Iran know that they are worth more than what they have to deal with or
perhaps tolerate thats why some of the women get enough courage to divorce their abusive
husbands. They also have a lot of dignity for having to tolerate that kind of behavior. Even
though its acceptable in Iran they know their worth and value as a women of society. The women
also have too much dignity to just walk away and never see their children again. They tolerate
the abuse so that they do not have to leave their children. The dignity and worth of these women
are inspiring.
Conclusion
The United States and Iran started out the same, but Iran has never changed. Domestic
violence is still acceptable and they have no intentions to making that change anytime soon.
Women have no rights in Iran, they must ask permission to do everything. No woman is safe
from domestic violence -- no matter what country or culture she lives in (Esfandiari, 2003).
The woman is Iran have nothing protecting them, as long as the Iran government doesnt allow
the research to be made public no one will ever know the true value of the domestic violence that
goes on in Iran.

Reference:
Day,P.J.,&Schiele,J.(2013).ANewHistoryofSocialWelfare
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Esfandiari,G.(2003,November1).World:ViolenceAgainstWomenInIran,Abuse
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Mantel,B.(2013,November15).Domesticviolence.CQResearcher,23,9811004.

Retrievedfromhttp://library.cqpress.com/cqresearcher/

Moradian, A. (2009, September 1). Azad Moradian. Retrieved November 28, 2014, from
http://iranian.com/main/blog/azad/domestic-violence-against-single-and-marriedwomen-iranian-society.html

Official Laws against Women in Iran. (2005, January 1). Retrieved December 3, 2014,
from http://www.wfafi.org/laws.pdf

Prah, P. M. (2006, January 6). Domestic violence. CQ Researcher, 16, 1-24. Retrieved
from http://library.cqpress.com/cqresearcher/

Smith, M., & Segal, J. (2014, February). Help for Abused and Battered Women. In Help
Guide. Retrieved September 19, 2014