
Nayereh Tavakoli: Women are disproportionately criminalized/ Ali Kalaei
Discrimination against women can be seen in various forms and situations in the country, but it seems that when it comes to prisons and female suspects and criminals, this discrimination becomes even more severe. For this reason, and to examine this issue from a sociological perspective, the monthly journal “Khat-e-Solh” turned to Nireh Tavakoli, a sociologist and researcher in the field of women’s studies, to hear her thoughts on the matter. This university professor also mentioned that “the belief that women are never capable of committing crimes or that violence is only inherent in men is based on physiological and psychological explanations and is not sociological.” According to Khat-e-Solh, the fundamental issue is the discussion of criminality in relation to women. According to Dr. Tavakoli, the problem is that “crimes have been defined in a way that is not considered a sin and punishable for men, but for women, the same crime carries heavy
This university professor and researcher also mentioned in another part of the conversation that “when talking about women, those who are integrity and righteous see their place in the home” to the monthly magazine of Khatt-e-Solh, stating that “even the Women’s Deputy of the Presidency in Iran is transformed into the Women and Family Deputy. It seems that families, which are emphasized to be so important, are only made up of women.”
You can read the explanation of the monthly peace conversation with Nireh Tavakoli, sociologist, university professor, and researcher in the field of women’s studies below.
It is said that prison is not a feminine environment and in prison, women suffer more damage. What is your opinion?
See, the issue of prison is related to crime. The belief that women are never capable of committing a crime or that violence is only inherent in men is based on physiological and psychological explanations and is not sociological. Men and women do not differ much in terms of inherent qualities. It’s like saying that prisons should be a masculine environment like military barracks. It is true that in most countries, military barracks have a masculine environment, but in some countries, there are also military jobs for women. The problem here is that we cannot say that prison is not a place for women. But we can talk about it in terms of economic and social conditions; what actions are considered criminal for women and whether these conditions are fair or not. There are crimes defined that are not considered a sin and punishable for men, but for women, they carry heavy punishments. For example, before the time of Mr. Hashemi Shahroudi, we were faced with stoning as a punishment…
Therefore, this issue is related to many things such as sociological factors. How we define men and women in general and how we recognize their identities, how the social conditions of men and women are, what things are considered crimes and how unfair it is to consider things like clothing or other things as crimes. We must talk about these issues. Also, we cannot exempt women, including female politicians who have been directly involved in war crimes.
There are also matters such as criminalization of political beliefs and imprisonment, as it can be discussed in regards to both men and women. It can be argued whether it is right to imprison prisoners with different crimes and conditions, such as those with mental illnesses, addiction, criminal and ideological prisoners. Is the work of experts done correctly for prisoners with mental illnesses? Is proper treatment provided for detainees with addiction? All of these matters depend on the type of social justice, the health of the judicial system, the health of civil and legal laws, and similar factors.
The intention was that the current prisons are built more for men than women… What is your assessment of the situation of women in prison?
It is true. In every society, the number of male prisoners is higher and as a result, more thought is given to the facilities, classification, and other issues in these prisons. However, because women are in the minority (assuming that their charges are properly and fairly judged according to the laws and courts), the prison conditions must be such that the rights of prisoners, such as the right to life, the right to self-defense, and the right to health, are guaranteed during imprisonment.
In Iran, non-governmental or governmental research that leads to accurate and scientific results in this field is not conducted. Only occasionally do we hear statistics that show an increase in addiction among women or a higher number of women in prison for killing their husbands compared to men who kill their wives. Of course, all of this is open to debate and investigation. However, my opinions and beliefs are hidden in what I have said. Nevertheless, if we want to make a general judgment, we must say that according to what we have heard, the conditions in prison are not suitable for women. For example, we sometimes hear that the treatment of women from the moment of arrest by those who detain them and the interrogators present is not appropriate for their gender. This is because we do not have stable female professions or individuals who have done these jobs, and there is no institutionalization in this field. The situation of social counselors is also not desirable and must be reconsidered.
Regarding the difference in criminality between women and men that you mentioned, could you provide further explanation?؟
See, we have an issue at the level of vocabulary. For example, a single word like “envy” when it comes to women, is described as “jealousy” when it comes to men. It is obvious that in literature, envy carries a negative connotation while jealousy carries a positive one. This small example shows the discrimination that exists in many areas, even in the issue of crime. In our administrative and governmental institutions, the situation is the same. That is, many women who have similar qualifications as men have been rejected in selection processes, while men with the same qualifications have an easier time passing through. These discriminations exist. In general, being a woman is sometimes considered a crime and then we cover it up. Even the type and style of life that is easily tolerated by men, is not tolerated by women. That is, in matters such as infidelity and maintaining the framework of family and marital relationships, these crimes are not the same. For women, issues
In prison, issues such as women’s health and economy are being discussed. Has any research been done in these areas or can you provide information and explanations?
Research has been done on the topic of women’s prison economics. I am not very knowledgeable in this area. However, in the field of health, there are various reports available. You see, in various crisis situations such as floods and earthquakes, the aid that is sent is not very gender-sensitive and does not meet the needs of women. The situation is the same in prisons. According to reports, the situation has not been the same in all years after the revolution. In times of crisis, such as the early years after the revolution, the situation has been even more difficult. The issue has not been thoroughly studied and prisoners also have bitter experiences in this area. These needs, like the rights and privileges of women, should be given to them and respected. However, this issue is not taken into consideration. Certain standards are set for this area, but they are not implemented. Therefore, the level of welfare facilities that should be given to women according to their rights and privileges is not given,
When a woman goes to prison, society, relatives, family and acquaintances shun her and warn others not to associate with her. However, this is not usually the case for men with a history of imprisonment. Do you agree with this statement? Why do you think this happens?
When it comes to women, those who are honest and upright see their place in the home. Even the position of women’s deputy in the presidency in Iran is transformed into the deputy of women and family. It seems that families, which are emphasized to be important, are only made up of women. Therefore, women should always have a place in the family. But it seems that men grow outside of the family. When such thinking exists, in every matter from political and social activities to committing crimes, legal, addiction, prostitution, etc., it is the woman who is first to commit a violation in the family environment, and this violation is considered a double crime for women. This perspective is both from a social and a family perspective. For example, for women who engage in political and social activities, it is also mentioned that they must have their husband’s permission. But for men, there are no such restrictions or considerations. There are also reports about women who have committed crimes or are addicted,
What are the consequences of such damage and how does it threaten incarcerated women, and how can this issue be resolved and the situation changed?
See, there is a lack of facilities for women in society. Take a simple bus or metro train for example. In city buses or metros, the facilities that should be provided for women’s physiology and femininity are not taken into consideration; such as having a place for strollers, or facilities for pregnant women, women carrying babies, women who have gone shopping, and so on. While in many countries, being pregnant and having children is respected. We should keep in mind that even when we talk about women carrying bags or baskets, it is mostly because women have less access to cars and rely more on public transportation, and we know that many public transportation vehicles are not designed to accommodate women from different angles. This means that women are not even considered to that extent. Now, what about a woman who is a criminal and has been sent to prison? I mentioned that women are disproportionately criminalized and deprived of their rights. In fact, even things that are right in front of our eyes (
Some women in prison have special conditions. For example, they may be pregnant, disabled, or elderly. Shouldn’t special measures be taken for them?
In normal circumstances, we see that there are deficiencies, injustices, and discriminations against these women, let alone those who are considered criminals and have a criminal record. But when it comes to considering what measures can be taken, firstly, there needs to be a review of the criminal justice system and secondly, there needs to be increased social monitoring. For example, we see that many mentally ill patients are left to their own devices. In this regard, extensive expert work needs to be done to determine what facilities and counseling these patients need. These mentally ill patients may also commit crimes. Keep in mind that many mentally ill patients are wrongly sent to prison and this clearly produces more and more severe trauma for them. Of course, this problem also exists for mentally ill men and society needs to handle these situations with more sensitivity, both for women and men with mental health issues.
There is another group of women who, due to poverty, lack of resources, unemployment, domestic violence, broken families, or neglect (with addicted fathers) or issues arising from child marriages, end up in prison. These are all issues that unfairly and unjustly lead women to prison, as a result of the injustice they have already faced. Therefore, in response to the first argument you made that prison is not a place for women, it must be considered whether it is necessary for women and girls to end up in prison in such circumstances or not, and then the issue should be examined.
Some talk about the issue of imprisonment and discussions about alternatives to prison, such as using ankle bracelets and electronic handcuffs, are raised. They also say that we should start with women. Of course, some measures have already been implemented. Do you think these solutions can be effective or reduce the problem?
What does it mean?
All countries’ experiences in this field must be examined; although I do not believe that other countries are paradise and do not have social deficiencies. There are many problems in countries where their policies are based on personal profit or focus on trade and weapons manufacturing, which overshadow the welfare policies of governments with economic austerity measures. However, it should not be ignored that valuable experiences exist at the global level in this field. Firstly, execution must be abolished. Secondly, it must be carefully examined what is considered a crime and whether the person who committed the crime had mental health or not. Thirdly, who is actually responsible. But in the prison stage, with the aim of rehabilitation, one can act in a way that the individual is not expelled from society, but is completely monitored. This can be done through methods such as probation, being under supervision, or being under surveillance, and the individual can be directed towards healthy and beneficial social activities. These methods completely negate the futility of prison. It must be
Thank you for the time you have given us in the Peace Line magazine.
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