Iran: Voiceless Female Heads of Household
NCRI Women's Committee
6 Million Female Heads of Household: Unsupported and Voiceless
When Being a Woman Is a Crime, and Earning Bread Is a Battle
As daily living conditions worsen for the general public and state repression intensifies, the situation for female heads of household, one of the most vulnerable segments of Iranian society, continues to deteriorate on all fronts.
The number of women who are the sole providers for their families is on the rise. These women often take on this role due to divorce, the death of a spouse, or their refusal to marry under the discriminatory laws that govern family and society in Iran. In doing so, they bear the household’s full economic and child-rearing responsibilities. They face mounting economic, social, and psychological challenges along this path. Additionally, they are deprived of even the most basic social protection and are often subjected to hidden forms of violence.
Statistical Overview
As with many other topics under the clerical regime, accurate statistics regarding female heads of households are deliberately obscured. According to the Donya-e-Eqtesad website (May 3, 2025), the total number of such women in Iran exceeds 6 million, with half of them lacking any form of insurance. Government-run media occasionally report on the annual increase in this vulnerable population.
This increase stems from several factors: economic hardship, poverty, unemployment, or the inability of male partners to provide financial support—often leading to divorce or male migration. Moreover, fatalities from accidents, state-led killings and arrests, and the COVID-19 pandemic in recent years have all contributed to the rising number of women left to support households on their own.
Many young women also opt out of marriage because of the archaic and discriminatory laws of the clerical regime and the absolute authority granted to men in the family structure. While this may shield them from some forms of violence and restriction, it places a heavy financial and emotional burden on them instead.
