Fourth session of the Forum on Minority Issues ORGANIZATION: International Kurdish -Union AGENDA ITEM: SPEAKER: Parvana Heidari Madam Chair, We are deeply concerned at the ongoing legal, economic, social, political and cultural discrimination against Iranian women in general and Kurdish, Azeri, Ahwazi Arab, Baloch and Turkoman women in particular. Millions of women living in the Islamic Republic of Iran face systematic legal discrimination, violence, constant insults and humiliation. Some of the Islamic Republic of Iran's discriminatory legal provisions regarding women are as follows: Women are not legally allowed to be elected to important government positions, including the presidency. A man's testimony in all legal matters is worth the testimony of two women. Women are deprived of the right to divorce; only the husband has the power of divorce. Women must have the husband's permission to work or to travel abroad. Women's share of inheritance is half of the share of their male siblings and married women inherit only one-eight of the husband's assets. and men, but most victims are 1