SANANDAJ, Iran - When Mahnaz Amiri decided to separate from her husband 12 years ago, the responsibility of providing for her children fell on her shoulders.
The 52-year old from the city of Sanandaj has been working as a tailor for more than a decade to provide for her family and is one of more than three million female breadwinners across the country.
“Sometimes I used to lock the door and work secretly in fear because they [the government] wouldn't let me. Our society doesn’t support us. They don’t accept that we’re family breadwinners,” she said.
According to Nahid Tajadin, a member of Iranian parliament’s social committee, the number of female breadwinners has increased by 58 percent in the last 10 years. With the spread of the coronavirus, many of these women face financial problems and unemployment, compounded by social stigma.
“Our society doesn’t support us,” Amiri said, adding that in addition to working outside of the home to support their families, women also have to do the housework and child care inside the home.
Bayan Nasrizar, 46, has had several jobs over the past 20 years to provide for her three children, including running a shop where she makes and sells traditional food.
“I have been making kalana [a type of local bread] for three years. I bake pies as well. I also prepare traditional Kurdish foods for my customers, including doghawa [kufta], dolma, and hallaw [a grape and meat dish],” she said. Last year, she had to close her shop for three months because of the coronavirus pandemic. Now, her sales have declined.
It’s a hard life, but she is grateful because she is able to provide for her family. “Although my income has decreased, I still feel satisfied because I am not dependent on anyone,” she said.
The Kurdish provinces in Iran’s west have always struggled with high unemployment, few job opportunities because a lack of investment, and a shortage of services. Women are traditionally kept at home, making the situation doubly hard for those who need to work to support their families.
Women’s rights activist and researcher Bayan Azizi said that female breadwinners face significant challenges, but are “one of the most important parts in society.”
It used to be thought that only widows had the responsibility of providing for their families. “Today, this is no longer true,” said Azizi. Some are not married, others are married but their husbands are away for work or are in prison.
According to the activist, the number of women breadwinners is on the rise.
“We did research in Kurdistan province on the problems of women breadwinners. As a result, we found out 65 percent of these women’s problems are financial, and small loans are not helping their situation,” she said. The second obstacle facing these women is social - societal expectations about women’s role in and out of the home.
