Ahmadinejad Takes Parting Shot At Iranian Women
The outgoing Iranian president has proposed a bill that would limit the working hours of some women.
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has proposed as one of his final legacies a new law on working hours for women. The bill, shelved until parliament members return from summer vacation, has sparked controversy.
If passed, certain women would work 36 hours a week, but get paid for 44 hours of full-time employment. The shorter shifts would be applicable to women who head a household, care for a disabled or sickly child or spouse or have children under the age of seven. These women could also opt out of working fewer hours and instead take two days of paid leave each month. The bill would be inclusive of women working in government and the private sector.
Many women’s rights activists believe this bill is another attempt by Ahmadinejad to dramatically reduce women’s participation in the workforce and further isolate them from the broader society. Iranian women already face a number of restrictions on their ability to work and pursue an education. In the Iranian constitution, the rule on women running for the presidency appears to be purposefully vague, but in practice, women are forbidden from becoming president. They also cannot serve as judges, in accordance with Sharia. Women are excluded from pursuing certain majors in college, and there are certain fields of study for which faculties admit a smaller number of women even if they score as high as men.
Former President Hashemi Rafsanjani expressed a contrasting take on women running for president, arguing in early July that the word rajol (Arabic for "man") in the constitution should not be translated literally. He contends that it has a broader meaning, inclusive of both genders. He also asserted that the term rajol-e-siasee (literally, "political man") should be interpreted as "political professional."
