Throughout human history, from the feudal era to the industrial age and the emergence of new indicators in human life and major changes in the way of production, the role of humans has also changed. In the modern world, men are no longer the only force in the labor market, and the position and role of the family, its pillars, and consequently the role of women, have changed from being solely responsible for childbearing to providing more labor for the family and managing household affairs such as cleaning, washing, and cooking. Women have become one of the influential players in various economic sectors.

The modern era, with its changes in all structures and institutions, provided new roles and functions for each member of society, and one of these changes was the entry of women into the realm of economic, social, and even political activities.

If in the past, the entry of women into society was considered a disruptive and strange structure, like a story or myth, the new gateway of human civilization sees women as beings who, like men, have an active role and function in society and can stand side by side with men in producing labor, creating wealth, and increasing the volume of gross national production.

This process in Iran also took a more practical form with the beginning of the Pahlavi dynasty, and Iranian women were brought out of their homes and called upon to participate in society. Roles that were previously unimaginable to anyone were given to them, and rightfully so. With an understanding of their abilities, strengths, weaknesses, and talents, they took full advantage of this opportunity and demonstrated their role and influence to the highest degree possible.

Nowadays, the discussion of women’s presence in the job market and their role in production and acceptance of various jobs, even at high levels of specialization and management, is no longer strange and surprising, but rather completely normal and natural. Even the most conservative thoughts and groups in Iranian society accept the presence of women and their role in society, albeit reluctantly. But the main question is: do Iranian women, despite the significant impact they have on the structure of the market, workforce, and production of the country, benefit equally from the wealth generated in society?

In other words, considering the increasing efforts and shoulder-to-shoulder activities of women in the economic and production fields, is the return of wealth for them equal to their efforts and on par with men?

It must be accepted that with the increase in the young population in the country, the entry of women into the field of social and economic activities has been significant. This is happening while the job market in the country has inappropriate structures in terms of attracting labor, especially for women.

The increase in the population of unemployed women and the high growth rate of unemployment in recent years is not only due to the increase in births in the 1960s, but also due to the tendency towards higher education among women and a change in their attitude towards social activities.

In the past three decades, the social demands of women have changed. Women are demanding a continuous presence in society. In the past decade, there has been an increase in the tendency of women towards education and it is undeniable that the conditions for their education can be provided and they are asked to enter the job market after completing their university studies.

A look at statistical indicators also shows that the status of women in the labor market and employment is much lower than that of men, contrary to claims and official statistics and figures.

Women who enter the workforce face numerous social problems, such as being viewed as tools and having unrealistic expectations from managers, as well as changes in societal and even familial expectations. A woman who works alongside a man outside of the home is still expected to be responsible for household management and fulfilling her maternal role, and in the economic sphere, she is also expected to have a role equal to that of a man “if she has a husband” or a lesser role for the family “if she is single”. This is even more difficult for women who have separated from their husbands and are referred to as “divorced”, as they are either forced to live in the turbulent economic and social conditions of Iranian society or remarry, and in worse cases, return to their father’s home.

On the other hand, looking at the statistical tables of the Iranian Statistical Center, despite indicating an increase in job opportunities for women, especially educated women, in practice, due to the unique economic and social structure of Iran, it cannot be claimed that the employment conditions for women are desirable. According to the statistics provided by this source: the rate of economic participation of educated women has decreased from 6.81% in 1376 to 1.71% in 1381. These statistics show that, due to the breadwinner role of men and limited job opportunities for women, the percentage of educated women who are homemakers has gradually increased.

An overview of the major indicators of the labor force during the years 1380 to 1384 shows that the average economic participation rate in the country was about 5.38 percent. However, there is a significant difference and gap between the economic participation rates of women and men, with the average participation rates for women and men during the years 1380 to 1384 being 5.12 and 7.63 percent, respectively.

The rate of women’s economic participation has increased from 8.11% in 1380 (2001) to 1.17% in 1384 (2005). Similarly, the rate of men’s economic participation has increased from 1.62% in 1380 to 9.64% in 1384. On the other hand, the unemployment rate among women has decreased from 9.19% in 1380 to 17% in 1384. The unemployment rate among women aged 15 to 24 has also decreased from 1.41% in 1380 to 2.32% in 1384.

Studying the share of women’s employment in different economic sectors (industry, agriculture, and services) during the years 1380 to 1384 also indicates that women have the highest participation rate in the services sector (84.39%), compared to other economic sectors (agriculture 74.31% and industry 4.28%).

The employment rate of women and men in different economic sectors is somewhat different in terms of structure. During the years 2001-2005, in the industrial sector, the employment rate of men (6.30%) has been higher than that of women (4.28%), while the participation rate of women in the agricultural sector (74.31%) has been higher than that of men (8.22%).

According to the latest published information from the 1385 national census in Iran, approximately 8.2 million people (13.6%) of the working population are women. Of this number, around 36% of these women have higher education.

Given these circumstances, it seems that in Iran, in addition to maintaining their own function as a homemaker and household manager, women must also work alongside men outside the home, without receiving a fair share of the doubled workforce they contribute. In fact, if we look at the position of women in Iran’s ailing economic system, we believe that although women contribute even more than men in matters related to the workforce, their share of productivity, production, and wealth accumulation is much lower than expected. Along with this, the beliefs of Iranian society have not yet reached a level of balance and evolution where they can accept women’s financial independence, even in regards to their own expenses. Iranian women are expected to use their income to cover a portion of their family’s and their own economic needs, and it is even seen as a disadvantage for a woman to work for her own financial benefits, which unemployed women in the realm of family and marital life can benefit from.

In fact, if we separate the poverty line in Iran based on gender, it is evident that the share of women who are below the poverty line is much higher than men in this area. Poverty that brings along with it issues such as prostitution, is not only due to the increasing demand in the market and the economic ability of men, but also shows the unstable economic situation of women who, in most cases, are forced into selling themselves not for pleasure, but due to financial pressure and economic hardships.

The problems faced by working women in the areas of work, compatibility between their job and expertise, and the wages they receive, are another indication of the dire situation of women in the Iranian economic market. In this regard, we conducted brief interviews with two educated and employed women in Iran: Ms. N.A, as the head of one of the specialized departments in Tehran’s Digestive and Liver Diseases Research Center, states that despite her university education and high administrative responsibilities, and working 12 exhausting and difficult hours a day, her monthly salary and that of her colleagues is around 300 US dollars, which is significantly less compared to those in lower positions. Now, considering the cost of living, if a female employee in Iran wants to live independently, the situation for her will be much more complicated and chaotic.

According to Ms. (S.B), who is a university professor, the economic situation of Iranian women is a completely separate issue from wealth and income generation; because if we consider the work of Iranian women in the job market as a means of acquiring wealth and financial resources, the results will be very disappointing. Women in fields such as higher education, contrary to public expectations, have very low incomes, around 2 US dollars per hour of teaching.

In any case, it seems that women’s share in the job market in Iran is not proportionate to their share in wealth and resources, and Iranian women face a difficult and challenging path to reach a stage where they can obtain a share of the wealth that is specific to the production and job market.

1- Iranian Women, Labor Market and Their Role in the Economy, Mehragan Magazine

2- The same reference

3- Preliminary results of the 1385 National Population and Housing Census, Iran Statistical Center.