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Iranwire – Most women in Iranian prisons are incarcerated for financial debts, unpaid guarantees, or unintentional crimes, according to a report published by the newspaper Arman-e-Emrooz.
The report, citing official statistics, documents what it describes as the “feminization of poverty in Iran” and highlights the rising number of women imprisoned for financial reasons.
Asadollah Joulaei, head of Iran’s National Blood Money Headquarters, said that 73 per cent of female prisoners are mothers, many of whom have more than three children.
He added that these women bear “the heavy burden of providing for their families.”
Joulaei also revealed that 24 women prisoners hold doctoral degrees, saying that “prison is not limited to the illiterate or marginalized; some professional and educated women are also imprisoned due to financial problems.”
The report indicates that the age of women prisoners ranges from years 20-year-old to a woman born in 1935.
In an interview with the newspaper, Iranian sociologist Fatemeh Kabirnataj described the statistics as “a clear sign of structural discrimination and deep social divides.”
She said, “The main crime of many women is financial debt – a phenomenon arising from economic inequality and women’s severely limited access to financial resources.”
“Women lack economic support networks, and the absence of this security has made them more vulnerable to financial crises,” she added.
Kabirnataj described the 73 per cent figure of incarcerated mothers as “a double social catastrophe,” arguing that maternal imprisonment exposes not only the women but entire families, especially children, to collapse, poverty, and psychological harm.
The report emphasizes the need for “serious reform” of the criminal justice system, saying “many women prisoners remain incarcerated for years due to debts they cannot pay.”
“The lack of social support, high living costs, and limited access to economic opportunities create a cycle of detention, poverty, and family disintegration,” it said.
