IRANIAN WOMEN NOW INHERIT ALL--NOT PART--OF HUSBANDS' ASSETS

June 2004 – (ISIS) Outgoing members of the Majlis (Parliament or Assembly) of Iran passed a bill on 10 May 2004 giving women equal inheritance rights.

Under the new law, widows are now entitled to more provisions in terms of inheriting majority of their deceased husbands' money and financial assets. They can also divide the property among themselves and their children. The new law was passed before all the old members of the Majlis, Iran's main legislative body, were replaced by elections in February and May 2004.

Under the old law, widows were entitled to only one-eighth of their husbands' financial assets and properties since the rest went to their children. For land property, women were not entitled to claim any land owned by their deceased husbands. If they do not have children, widows were entitled to one-fourth of their husbands' total assets while the rest went to the husbands' parents, siblings and other relatives. In case the husband did not have any relatives, the properties and assets went to the state.

The old law is obviously tilted in favour of men, as they are entitled to inherit a bigger share: one-fourth of their wives' assets while the rest went to their children, or half if they do not have children. Reports did not say, however, if the husbands will be equally recognised in the new inheritance law.

Nonetheless, advocates are happy about this recent development.

Source: "Outgoing Iranian MPs grant equal inheritance rights to women" as posted in the Persian Journal last 11 May 2004 at <http://www.iranian.ws/iran_news/publish/article_2281.shtml>.

From: http://www.isiswomen.org/pub/we/thisweek.html#will