Iranian women between systematic repression and the cost of survival: A reality where oppression intertwines with loss

The situation of women in Iran in recent years, particularly between 2024 and 2026, has witnessed a sharp deterioration reflecting an integrated system of legal discrimination, security repression, and economic and social pressures.

This reality is no longer merely a series of isolated violations; rather, it has become an ongoing pattern documented through international reports and human rights organizations, demonstrating that Iranian women bear a compounded burden of injustice, poverty, and the loss of personal security.

Since the establishment of the Iranian regime, extensive restrictions have been imposed on women across various aspects of life, including personal status laws, employment, and dress codes.

International experts affirm that women and girls in Iran continue to face “systematic legal discrimination” that limits their access to justice and participation in society.

The imposition of mandatory hijab since the 1980s remains one of the most prominent tools of control over women, often serving as grounds for arrest or punishment.

Following the “Woman, Life, Freedom” protests that erupted in 2022, the campaign of repression against women escalated to unprecedented levels.

Reports by Amnesty International indicate that Iranian authorities have targeted women’s rights activists through arbitrary detention, flogging, and even threats of the death penalty.

Recent reports have also documented the arrest of tens of thousands during the protests, including a significant number of women, amid the use of excessive force and mass detentions.

In 2026, these policies have continued, with more than 50,000 people arrested during waves of protests, according to human rights estimates.

Among them are women facing harsh sentences that may extend to capital punishment.

One of the most alarming indicators of the deterioration in women’s conditions is the rising implementation of death sentences.

In 2025 alone, at least 38 women were executed, compared to 34 in 2024 and 26 in 2023, reflecting a sharp increase in the targeting of women with capital punishment.

Iran has also recorded record-high execution figures overall, exceeding 1,000 cases annually, amid widespread international criticism.

In 2026, recent reports indicate an acceleration in executions of political prisoners, including women, in the context of trials that lack legal standards and the use of capital punishment as a tool to instill fear within society.

The threat is not limited to the state alone but extends into society amid weak legal protections.

At least 203 killings of women were recorded in Iran during 2025, including crimes motivated by so-called “honor.”

This is partly attributed to laws that mitigate penalties in such crimes, creating an environment of impunity.

Thousands of Iranian women suffer from the loss of their children or husbands inside prisons, whether due to political activity or participation in protests.

Human rights reports indicate that families of detainees themselves are subjected to harassment, while many are denied knowledge of the fate of their relatives or the return of their bodies after execution.

These practices create a prolonged state of suffering, in which women become both direct and indirect victims simultaneously.

Alongside political repression, Iranian women face severe economic conditions.

International sanctions and economic mismanagement have directly affected employment opportunities and income, while women encounter additional restrictions in the labor market.

This has led to rising poverty rates among women, particularly widows and mothers of detainees, who shoulder financial and social responsibilities without adequate support.

Recent indicators show that the situation of women in Iran is passing through a critical phase, where political repression intersects with legal discrimination and societal violence.

While women continue to play a prominent role in protest movements, the cost of this role remains high, manifested in imprisonment, loss, and even death.

Despite this harsh reality, the persistence of women-led protests indicates that the issue has evolved beyond mere rights-based demands into a deeper struggle over freedom and dignity.

In the absence of substantive reforms, the future of Iranian women remains contingent upon the ability of both the international and domestic communities to break the ongoing cycle of repression.