DESPITE appearances, British is not completely stupid. In his celebrated apology for the Shah on Weekend World last year one of his main criticisms of the religious opposition was directed the harsh, dominated regime would introduce.
A future article will deal with the problems of- women's liberation and the opposition.
implict Owen's argument is the assumption that the Shah's regime has already "liberated' Iranian WOLLICH The Shah's own attitude to women is shown by the box accompanying this article. But even this piece of misogyny is misleading since it implies that Iranian women nave cowant "in the eyes of the law'.
of Iranian gals women under the Shah are only two: the right to vote, which they share with men and which utterly useless In dictatorship; and legal moves against the wearing of the veil, superficially progressive move which actually infringes women's right to wear the veil if they choose.
That is why in the present 'Westernised' UDSULEC women, whose usual would probably be blue jeans, have taken to chador veil. This continue until there is what one described as atmosphere of freedom where human and democratic values COULIL.
The legal rights guaranteed to Iranian women are pitiful. A husband can legally stop-a woman taking a job which he Socialist Challenge 18 January 1979 page 4 thinks damages the 'dignity and prestige of the family' She needs the permission of her husband or father to travel and of her father to marry.
A daughter only receives half the inheritance of a son. court two women's testimony is male- held to be equal to that of one The system of under which a man can have up to four wives is still legal. The formality which requires woman's written permission is easily avoided in a country where half of town women and 90 per cent of rural women are If, on the other hand, a woman were to have a sexual relationship with a man other than her husband, might kill her 'in defence of his honour.
Under the penal code he would get off almost scot free. In contrast unmarried woman is regardec as a criminal.
do pression extends re.
BUL beyond legal Poverty and the children mean that nearly three quarters of women countrvside have their child before the age of 19 and continue to bear them as long as they are able. garb The attitude to employment is typically ambivalent. In agriculture women will CONSULUTC majority seasonal labourers (at half a 'an man's wage). In the towns only 7,5 per cent are outside the home.
Equal pay laws, like those guaranteeing maternity leave, are systematically Equality for Iranian women is more of the type advocated in In polygamy the the latter pregnant sphere. recent labour legislation, which need for abolishes the category of work *harmful for women and young in the workers Many of the most oppressive attitudes Iran are Islamic in origin. Yet women have seized on female opposition ding some of its more Moslem aspects, as an opportunity to demonstrate their own activity.
Hence employed separate women's contingents Jane even swearate protests, as contradictory ignored. wearing the veil.
The entry of women into political life has treatment Shah's jails.
and institutions in the treatment the incluTHOVCHICHL.
get their self- The mass there have been the estimated political WORCES wel such gestures as inevitably exposed. provoked a backlash, west most horrible aspect the women in the usual rape and other sexual tortures predominate in women prisoners and women are often used as bargaining counters to husbands give Deng movement has looking forced the release of many of 4,000 women of prisoners. Others remain in prison because the Inprecor regime does not dare face the They publicity alternative *Man which would be created if some of the women's treatment were ist, chosen by the Lin issue: Iran, Turkey, Indochin Horn of Africa.
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