Women of Iran

Over the past five years when the number of migrants crossing the southern border began to increase, many Americas were filled with compassion for these people who were fleeing countries where they had no human rights. These crossing have stopped but a new human rights group has appeared and deserves some attention. There are 50 million Iranian women who are living in human bondage as second-class citizens. Will the American people offer the same compassion for these women? Will there be public demonstrations to show solidarity with these women. Are they not as important as Occupy Wall Street and Black Lives Matter? Here is a quick reminder of just a few of the inequalities suffered by Iranian women. Men have an automatic, unrestricted right to divorce, while women must meet strict, difficult legal conditions to initiate divorce. Mothers retain custody of children only until age seven; thereafter, guardianship automatically transfers to the father or paternal grandfather. Girls can be legally married at 13, and younger with paternal permission. A husband can legally prevent his wife from pursuing an occupation he deems against "family values". Women are largely barred from becoming judges and holding the highest political offices. A new, harsher "hijab and chastity" law introduced in late 2024 significantly increases penalties for non-compliance, including long prison terms, travel bans, and fines In many legal proceedings, a woman's testimony is equal to only half that of a man