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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Welcome to this special episode, where we shed light on a harrowing but deeply important issue: the silent killing of political prisoners in Iran through systematic medical neglect. Today, we focus on a disturbing strategy used by the Iranian regime—denying life-saving medical treatment to imprisoned dissidents, particularly women, as a means of punishment and control.

In this episode, we’ll explore the haunting stories of Iranian women who are not only imprisoned for their political beliefs or activism but are also subjected to a slow, cruel death behind bars. This is not accidental—it is state policy. By weaponizing illness and withholding care, the regime sends a chilling message to all who dare to resist.

We speak about those who have been directly affected by this brutality. We also discuss the broader implications for human rights, particularly women’s rights, in Iran. 

If you care about justice, if you believe in human dignity, and especially if you stand with Iranian women in their struggle for freedom, this episode is for you. Stay with us as we bring their stories to the forefront—and don’t forget to share this episode with others. Their lives—and voices—depend on it.

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Welcome to this special episode, where we shed light on a harrowing but deeply important issue: the silent killing of political prisoners in Iran through systematic medical neglect. Today, we focus on a disturbing strategy used by the Iranian regime—denying life-saving medical treatment to imprisoned dissidents, particularly women, as a means of punishment and control.

In this episode, we’ll explore the haunting stories of Iranian women who are not only imprisoned for their political beliefs or activism but are also subjected to a slow, cruel death behind bars. This is not accidental—it is state policy. By weaponizing illness and withholding care, the regime sends a chilling message to all who dare to resist.

We speak about those who have been directly affected by this brutality. We also discuss the broader implications for human rights, particularly women’s rights, in Iran. 

If you care about justice, if you believe in human dignity, and especially if you stand with Iranian women in their struggle for freedom, this episode is for you. Stay with us as we bring their stories to the forefront—and don’t forget to share this episode with others. Their lives—and voices—depend on it.

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In this episode, we'll be looking at two distinct but perhaps connected situations. First, the chronic struggles faced by female workers across the country, and second, a recent deadly explosion in Bandar Abbas.

Reports indicate that women in Iran face significant gender and social inequalities imposed by the clerical regime. Despite often being essential household breadwinners, they aren't legally recognized as such.
And this isn't just a minor inconvenience. These women are frequently forced to work long hours, often beyond standard limits, in production workshops. Then, after exhausting shifts, they return home to carry out household duties, caring for children and ailing family members. It's a double burden.
Getting accurate data on these workers is difficult. Many are in informal jobs or home-based occupations, making them particularly vulnerable.
Host 2: And vulnerable they are. These informal workers are frequently employed under vague or pre-signed blank contracts. A "pre-signed blank contract," or "white-signed contract," is where the worker signs before key terms like salary or duration are filled in, giving the employer total control. This practice is described as illegal or exploitative in many places and strips workers of basic protections.
As a result, they often earn less than the legal minimum wage. And speaking of the minimum wage, for 2025, it was set at about 10 million and 390 thousand tomans, or roughly 111 US dollars.
Which is incredibly low considering the cost of living. According to government media, that minimum wage isn't even enough to cover the weekly expenses of a three-person family. A member of the High Council of Workers’ Unions estimated the real cost of living is closer to over 50 million tomans, or about 530 USD.

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Mahnaz Javan-Khoshdel is the sister of Mostafa Javan-Khoshdel, one of the 13 honored martyrs on April 19 in Paris. Her presence deeply moved the crowd. Holding a photograph of her brother’s skull, marked by the execution bullet, alongside his portrait, she delivered a deeply emotional speech. Her words echoed pain, defiance, and a relentless demand for justice — a voice for the families who, half a century later, still seek truth and accountability.

Mostafa was arrested in September 1972 at the age of 26. He was in contact with many merchants and workers. During the two and a half years he spent in prison, the criminal Sabeti and all the torturers under his command subjected him to the most horrific torture. But even under SAVAK’s most savage brutality, they could not break his will or extract any information.

For a long time, he wasn’t allowed any visits. Once, when my mother went to see him, a torturer arrived with a paper and pen and insisted, “By the honor of His Majesty, if you write just two lines, you’ll be freed immediately.” Mostafa mockingly replied, “I don’t know how to read or write.”

The Shah’s SAVAK had arrested and taken members of our family hostage to pressure Mostafa. I was arrested several times so they could reach my husband. The notorious torturer “Tehrani” constantly pressured me to divorce him.

This tactic of taking families hostage under the Shah is the same dirty policy that has become an official strategy of this regime — advancing its goals through hostage-taking. Unfortunately, European governments still yield to it.

Due to torture, Mostafa became extremely frail and thin. This 26-year-old young man looked like an old man. During the last visit, to hide his condition, they made him wear several layers of clothing to conceal the fact that he was nothing but skin and bones. The visitation room was a tiny space, barely two meters by one. Even there, his torturer, who looked like a monster, stood glued to him.

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Deadly Bandar Abbas Explosion – Six days after the catastrophic explosion at Bandar Abbas, flames continue to rise from the ruins of Sina Company—a facility linked to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). The warehouse reportedly stored hazardous materials, and its explosion has become one of the deadliest industrial disasters in Iran’s history. Firefighters still cannot approach the core of the blast site, and the regime has released no official death toll.

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Between March 24 and April 9, 2025—over a span of two and a half weeks—at least 13 young women and girls were killed in cities and towns across Iran, most at the hands of male relatives — fathers, husbands, brothers, etc. These tragic incidents highlight the ongoing epidemic of gender-based killings and violence in the country, where perpetrators often act with impunity and victims are left without protection or justice.
Article 612 of the clerical regime’s Penal Code, in particular, frequently shields offenders—especially fathers, brothers, and husbands—from severe punishment, perpetuating a cycle of injustice. The persistent failure to implement robust legal protections not only endangers countless women but also reinforces a culture where honor killings and femicide remain tragically unchecked.

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