- Introduction
The right to education is a fundamental right. Higher education is a level of education that is offered in universities, faculties, higher institutions, and colleges and includes post-diploma, bachelor, master, Ph.D., and postdoctoral levels. Higher education is a privilege that all individuals should have access to. The international human rights law doesn’t accept any discrimination in higher education inter alia the distinction between men and women in benefiting from this right.[1]There are three criteria to check the status of women’s right to education: non-discrimination, accessibility, and merits.
In this regard, the present report refers to points about the Islamic Republic of Iran. The structure of the Higher Education System of Iran is very diverse and a little complicated since there are diverse classifications of universities in the country. Based on the information of officials of the Ministry of Science of Iran on June 21, 2023, the number of universities is 2,183.[2]
- Approach of the Laws of the Islamic Republic of Iran to Women’s Right to Higher Education
Principle 3(3) of the constitution of the Islamic Republic of Iran obliges the government to generalize higher education. Principal 30 expresses development of the higher education to the extent of self-sufficiency.
According to principle 20 of the constitution, men and women equally enjoy all political, economic, social, and cultural rights. In other words, Iran with acceptance of the Convention against Discrimination in Education in 1968 and ratification of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and regard to article 9 of Iran’s civil law that stipulates International treaties are the rule of law, shall respect to non-discrimination against women in higher education as a human right, international rule and fundamental obligation of government to people.
Women’s right to higher education is recognized in the following laws and regulations:
The Charter of Women’s Rights and Responsibilities in the Islamic Republic of Iran 2004 (Para.77)[3]
The law on the establishment of the Ministry of Health of the Islamic Republic of Iran 1985 (note of Article 7: Planning for the training of women in specialized fields of gynecology, midwifery, and clinical medical fields)[4]
Legislative decree on removing the restriction of accepting female candidates in some academic fields 1989[5]
- Higher Education Position of Women in the Iran According to Statistics
According to the latest available statistics from the Ministry of Science, the number of higher education students in Iran was 3,342,220 people in 2021-2022; 1,641,426 of these were women (Almost 49 percent). Regard to statistics in the last ten years, 2,214,418 students were women in 2013-2014 which is the highest number in this period[6].
Conformably to the report of the Vice-President for Academic Affairs of the University of Tehran, as the top Iranian university in most global rankings[7], 5,312 female students were among the admissions for the academic year 2023-2024. Out of this number,1855 of them are bachelor’s students, which is significantly higher than the number of male bachelor’s students admissions, which is 1763.[8]
Notably, Al-Zahra State University in Tehran was completely allocated to female students; this university included 9,850 students in 2021-2022.[9]
The majority of the candidates for the national entrance exam of Iranian universities are women. For example, looking at the statistics of the 2023 entrance exam in Iran, according to the National Organization for Educational Testing, in the first round of the 2023 entrance exam, 977,460 people participated, with the majority being 588,502 women. In the second round of 2023, 1,119,436 persons competed 687,420 of whom were women (almost 61 percent).[10]
It is completely relevant to take a look at the statistics of top-ranked girls in the Iranian national university entrance exam over the past period: in 2023, Among the top ten people in the mathematical and technical test group, there were no girls, while there were five girls in the humanities test group and three girls in the science test group. There were three people among the top five people in the art test group and one girl in the foreign languages test group.[11]
Based on the reports of some Iranian newspapers quoted from the Statistical Center of Iran, the number of unemployed graduates will be 955,398 in 2022. 513,895 of them are women.[12] One of the aspects of the right to higher education is the possibility of entering labor and using abilities and knowledge acquired in education; Achieving this goal requires improving the economic conditions of Iran. But It is worth mentioning that the unemployment problem isn’t only for female graduates, because male graduates also suffer from it.
- Assessment
The higher education situation of women in the Islamic Republic of Iran as a developing state, is generally fine; Non-discrimination, equal access with men, and merits have been respected and the Constitution of Iran also recognizes women’s right to higher education.
quoted statistics confirm Iran’s adherence both to domestic laws and to international human law obligations; However, the state must create opportunities to benefit from the potential of educated women. Educated Iranian women can play a pivotal role in their community and also the international community to promote peace, progress, and human rights.
[1] For example, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (Article 2, Article 26(1)), the International Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights (Article 2(2), Article 13(2)(C)), the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (Article 10) and the Convention against Discrimination in Education (Article 2, Article 4)
[2] Report of Isna, Available at https://www.isna.ir/news/1402033120144 (in Persian)
[3] Available at https://rc.majlis.ir/fa/law/show/101171%20(In%20Persian) (in Persian)
[4] Available at https://rc.majlis.ir/fa/law/show/91112 (in Persian)
[5] Available at https://rc.majlis.ir/fa/law/show/100006 (in Persian)
[6] Institute for Research and Planning in Higher Education, Trend of the Total Number of Iranian Higher Education Students by Gender in the Last Ten Years, Available at https://irphe.ac.ir/en/?slc_lang=en
[7] For example, see https://www.usnews.com/education/best-global-universities/iran
[8] Mehr news agency, 2023, Available at:
[9] Statistical yearbook of Al-Zahra University in 2022, p.16, Available at https://ppc.alzahra.ac.ir/DorsaPax/userfiles/Sub70/files/calendar1401.pdf (in Persian)
[10] Report of Fars news agency, 2023, Available at https://www.farsnews.ir/news/14020412000600
[11] Report of Fars news agency, 2023, Available at https://www.farsnews.ir/news/14020525000337/
[12]Report of Donya-e-Eqtesad newspaper, Available at:
