Living Under Sanctions: The Perils of Being a Woman in Iran

Iran has been facing sanctions for decades now because of its alleged nuclear weapons programme. In fact, it is one of the most sanctioned countries in the world along with North Korea. It has been subjected to wide ranging sanctions by a number of actors. It is often the women along with children and elderly people who are most impacted in times of conflict. Their role in traditional societies as caretakers further compounds their plight in a country like Iran. As women in Iran are already living under a patriarchal society in which they do not have much say in many important matters concerning their daily lives, this patriarchal nature of the society along with the externally imposed international sanctions have only worsened their day-to-day problems. Women are at a disadvantageous position owing to their relative lack of adequate access to education, economic power, and voice in economic and political decision-making. While women carry the larger burden of ensuring their families’ well-being, they are also the most economically vulnerable. Women have a harder time finding jobs, are among the first to get laid off, and have fewer workplace protections. As those primarily responsible for running their households, women face increased loads of stress trying to feed their families, obtain needed medication, and buy necessary goods amidst skyrocketing levels of inflation. Therefore, this article will explain, while relying on the secondary sources, the humanitarian and gendered aspects of the sanctions. Further, it shall examine their impact on the lives of Iranian women and how their human rights-healthcare, education, quality of life, have been affected in various ways.