Dans ce podcast, nous mettons en lumière le schéma constant et alarmant du travail forcé et des abus systémiques visant les femmes détenues dans plusieurs établissements pénitentiaires en Iran, notamment les prisons de Vakilabad (Mashhad), Sepidar (Ahvaz), Qarchak et Tabriz. Ces pratiques sont en violation directe des normes internationales des droits humains et illustrent un mépris délibéré pour la dignité et le bien-être des femmes incarcérées.

Nature Systémique du Travail Forcé

Le travail forcé n’est pas un incident isolé, mais une pratique routinière et institutionnalisée dans le système carcéral iranien à l’encontre des femmes. Les détenues sont contraintes de travailler dans divers domaines, notamment dans les usines, ateliers (tissage de tapis, couture, fabrication de chaussures), le nettoyage, la boulangerie, la cuisine et l’emballage.

Heures de Travail Prolongées et Non Rémunérées

Les femmes détenues sont forcées de travailler pendant de longues heures, souvent au-delà de la journée de travail standard, sans repos adéquat ni rémunération équitable. Un témoignage décrit des femmes travaillant « sans arrêt jusqu'à 16h30, alors que nous devrions rentrer à 15h ». Une autre source mentionne un travail se prolongeant jusqu'à 22h pour certaines. Malgré ces efforts intensifs, les salaires perçus sont qualifiés de « dérisoires », allant de seulement 30 000 à 200 000 tomans par mois.

Exploitation et Absence de Protection Juridique

Les prisonnières qui travaillent dans ces conditions ne sont pas protégées par le droit du travail, les exigences de salaire minimum ou l’assurance sociale. Aucun document légal ne leur est fourni pour leur travail, les exposant ainsi à une exploitation accrue. Un membre du Conseil suprême du travail confirme que « les travailleuses en prison ne sont pas couvertes par le droit du travail, ni par les assurances, et ne sont pas supervisées par le ministère du Travail ». Les profits générés par leur travail bénéficient principalement à l’administration pénitentiaire, en particulier aux directeurs de prison.

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In this podcast, we shed light on the consistent and alarming pattern of forced labor and systemic abuse targeting female prisoners across multiple facilities in Iran, including Vakilabad Prison (Mashhad), Sepidar Prison (Ahvaz), Qarchak Prison, and Tabriz Prison. These practices are in direct violation of international human rights standards and highlight a deliberate disregard for the dignity and well-being of incarcerated women.

Systemic Nature of Forced Labor
Forced labor is not an isolated incident but a routine and institutionalized practice within Iran's prison system for women. Prisoners are compelled to work in various capacities, including factory work, workshops (carpet weaving, tailoring, shoe-making), cleaning, bakery, cooking, and packaging.

Extended and Uncompensated Work Hours
Female prisoners are forced to work long hours, often exceeding the standard workday, without adequate rest or fair compensation. One account describes women working "non-stop until 4:30 PM, even though we should return by 3 PM." Another source highlights work extending as late as 10 p.m. for some. Despite this strenuous labor, the wages received are described as "meager," ranging from as low as 30,000 tomans to 200,000 tomans per month.

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“Elimination of Violence against Women,” “Provision of Security for Women against Violence,” “Protection, Dignity, and Provision of Security for Ladies Against Violence,” “Protection of Dignity and Support for Women Against Violence,” and now “Preventing Women from Harm and Improving Their Security Against Abuse,” are all iterations of a single proposed bill in Iran. For more than 13 years, this bill has remained stalled. It occasionally resurfaces to pacify public opinion, only to be passed from one government body to another with no meaningful progress.

Some officials and members of the Iranian Parliament (Majlis) openly oppose the bill. For example, the Vice-Chairman of the Parliamentary Judicial Commission has declared it contrary to the mullahs’ version of Iran, claiming it weakens family foundations. Similarly, Ensieh KhazAli, former Deputy for Women and Family Affairs under Ebrahim Raisi, dismissed the bill by asserting, “Violence is not prevalent in our families.” (Mehr News Agency, August 23, 2023)

Outrageous opposition like this, laden with misogynistic rhetoric, abounds. This article focuses on exposing the clerical regime’s false claims of supporting women.

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When discussing female heads of household, several key groups come to mind: widows, divorcees, the wives of addicted men, the spouses of incarcerated individuals, the wives of migrant workers, single self-sustaining women, and the wives of disabled or incapacitated men. All these women are compelled to support and manage their families. Meanwhile, the laws of the clerical regime in Iran officially categorize them as second-class citizens, existing solely to serve men. As a result, experts have long been highlighting the feminization of poverty in Iran.

Female Heads of Household: The Poorest Breadwinners

According to the National Statistics Center of Iran (NSC), there were nearly 4 million female heads of household in Iran in 2020. (mokhaberatema.ir, October 20, 2021)

The latest NSC report on household expenses and income for the year 2020 indicates that out of a total of 25,685,000 heads of household in the country, 3,517,000 were women. Notably, of these 3.5 million female heads of household, nearly 1.5 million were single self-sustaining women (living alone). In other words, approximately 13.7% of all heads of household in Iran are women, and about 41.5% of these women live independently. (mashreghnews.ir, April 9, 2022)

Nearly half of the female breadwinners belong to the poorest segments of society. According to official statistics, within the lowest income decile (the poorest), about 45% of heads of household are women. (salamatnews.com, October 20, 2021)

It is important to note that the Iranian regime lacks transparency regarding statistics. It must be assumed that the actual figures are significantly higher than those published by the NSC. For example, Ensieh Khazali, the former deputy for women’s and family affairs, stated in June 2022 that “unofficial statistics indicate that we have nearly 6 million female heads of household.” Before her, Tayebeh Siavoshi, a former member of the regime’s parliament, had indicated that the number could vary and reach up to 5 million. (ICANA.ir, August 7, 2017)

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In recent years, the economic crisis in Iran has deepened, with poverty now affecting over 30% of the population by the end of the Persian year 1403 (March 2025), according to official figures.

However, according to unofficial estimates, around 80% of the population in Iran lives below the poverty line and cannot consume 2,100 calories a day; this means over 72 million people are living in poverty in Iran.

Yet behind this general statistic lies a harsher, more invisible truth: women in Iran are disproportionately impacted by poverty, both economically and socially, due to structural inequalities, legal discrimination, and systemic exclusion from the labor market.

A report by the Iranian Parliament’s Research Center (Majlis) confirms that by 1401 (March 2023), over 32 million Iranians lived below absolute poverty. This line is defined as the inability to afford necessities such as food, housing, healthcare, and education. But women, particularly female heads of households, rural women, and single mothers, face unique vulnerabilities that these figures only hint at.

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Uno sguardo sulla situazione delle lavoratrici in Iran
Le donne lavoratrici in Iran, con le mani callose e i corpi esausti, portano il peso delle disuguaglianze sociali e di genere imposte dal regime clericale.

Nel sistema giuridico iraniano, le donne non sono riconosciute come capofamiglia. Tuttavia, sono costrette a lavorare per molte ore, ben oltre l’orario legale, in officine e laboratori di produzione.

Alla sera, tornano a casa per occuparsi dei figli e dei familiari malati, assumendosi anche le faccende domestiche nonostante una profonda stanchezza.

Panoramica sulla condizione delle lavoratrici in Iran
Non esistono statistiche affidabili sul numero esatto di donne lavoratrici in Iran. I pochi dati disponibili provengono da agenzie governative e sono incompleti. Gran parte di queste donne lavora nel settore informale o svolge attività a domicilio, il che le rende ancora più vulnerabili. Assunte con contratti poco chiari, talvolta firmati in bianco prima ancora di iniziare, ricevono spesso salari inferiori al minimo legale.

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Un regard sur la situation des travailleuses en Iran

Les femmes travailleuses en Iran, aux mains calleuses et aux corps épuisés, portent le poids des inégalités sociales et de genre imposées par le régime clérical.

Dans le système juridique iranien, les femmes ne sont pas reconnues comme cheffes de famille. Pourtant, elles sont contraintes de travailler de longues heures, bien au-delà de la durée légale, dans des ateliers de production.

Le soir venu, elles rentrent chez elles pour s’occuper de leurs enfants et des membres malades de la famille, assumant également les tâches ménagères malgré une profonde fatigue.

Aperçu de la condition des travailleuses en Iran

Il n’existe aucune statistique fiable sur le nombre exact de femmes travailleuses en Iran. Les rares données disponibles proviennent des agences gouvernementales et sont incomplètes. Une grande partie de ces femmes exercent dans des emplois informels ou travaillent à domicile, ce qui les rend encore plus vulnérables. Employées sous des contrats flous, parfois signés à blanc avant même de commencer, elles perçoivent souvent un salaire inférieur au minimum légal.

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In less than a month (24 days), Iran has witnessed a shocking wave of domestic violence that has left at least 21 women dead across various cities.
These killings—many carried out with extreme brutality, some in public spaces or in front of children—highlight the urgent crisis of gender-based violence and the absence of effective legal and social protections for women in Iran.

Most of the murders have been described by authorities as resulting from “family disputes,” “honor-related motives,” or “requests for divorce.” These vague labels not only obscure the gravity of the crimes but also reinforce systemic impunity and normalize violence against women within deeply patriarchal frameworks.

These horrific cases of femicide highlight the escalating crisis of gender-based violence in Iran, where systemic legal shortcomings enable perpetrators to act with impunity.

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