Source: IRNAAn Iranian politician Thursday said that Iran’s parliament has placed laws pertaining to the prevention of violence against women.
Mrs. Fatemeh Alia, addressing a three-day “Regional Seminar for Asian Parliaments”, in New Delhi, said: “Some believe in the notion of complete equality between men and women with no consideration for their biological and emotional differences. Justice is not always the same as equality. Men and women have been created equal but not alike; therefore differences require a different approach to the roles and responsibilities.”
She noted that with these issues in mind, Iran’s parliament has placed laws pertaining to the prevention of violence against women and protection for battered women on its agenda.
“The Islamic penal code prohibits abductions particularly the kidnapping of women, violence against pregnant women, gender-based street harassment, and crimes against rights and responsibilities within the family structure,” said Iranian Parliamentarian while addressing at the seminar on the issue “Process and challenges of developing and effecting legal reform on all forms of violence against women.
Describing the laws, she said that Iranian Code of Criminal Procedure (articles 42, 43,66): all procedures should be carried out with the dignity of female offenders in mind, the questioning of female offenders and children under the age of 15 should be carried out by female officers, NGO’s have a pivotal role in protecting the rights of the victims of violence. Laws on human trafficking. The ratification of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Laws on phone harassment. Laws prohibiting threats to kill and threats to reputation.
“Furthermore, when domestic violence is involved, the need for rehabilitation tends to be stronger than in other criminal cases,” said Iranian lawmaker. Altering cultural views of violence and monitoring and evaluation on the implementation of laws is a crucial element in combating violence in communities in general and women in particular, she added.
Fatemeh Alia suggested that only through our collective efforts, cooperation instead of confrontation, honoring our diversity can we succeed in eliminating form of discrimination in our societies.
Parliamentarians, Asadullah Abbas, Ramezan Shojaei Kiyasari and Ms Fatema Alia, represented Iran at the three day seminar, inaugurated by Lok Sabha Speaker Ms Meira Kumar, on 'Preventing and responding to violence against women and girls: From legislation to effective enforcement'.
Besides the 150 participants, including parliamentarians and observers from Iran, Afghanistan, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Maldives, Pakistan, Philippines, Sri Lanka and Thailand, President of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) Theo-Ben Gurirab also attended the Seminar.
The seminar, in which Asian Parliamentarians will deliberate on violence against women, organized jointly by the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) and the Parliament of India.
