The Iranian job market faces a significant gender disparity, with only 15.6% of the total workforce being women, despite women constituting 50% of the country’s population. In the technology sector, this gender gap is even more pronounced, with women representing only 16% of the workforce. A 2023 United Nations report highlights that merely 35% of positions in technology, engineering, and mathematics fields are held by women. While Iran has approximately 11% of its female population employed, Saudi Arabia has made substantial progress in achieving a 36% female economic participation rate. Factors contributing to this gender gap include traditional beliefs about gender roles, limited access to credit for women entrepreneurs, and filtering impacting rural women’s digital participation. Efforts are needed to bridge this gender gap and enhance women’s involvement in Iran’s job market, especially in technology-related fields.

Gender Disparity in the Iranian Job Markets

According to IDEA, The participation of women in the job market, especially in the technology sector, remains significantly limited due to According to IDEA, various constraints. In the field of technology and information technology, women’s representation is even lower, accounting for only 16% of the workforce.

Global Variation in Women’s Entrepreneurship Rates

Statistics published by Iran Talenet in 1401 (2022 in the Gregorian calendar) reveal that women’s share in the job market related to information technology, networking, and informatics is only 16%. In programming and software development, this figure is slightly higher at 23%. Furthermore, according to the Center for E-Commerce Development, women comprise only 16% of e-commerce business owners, although they accounted for 22% of applications for e-commerce trust certificates.

Gender Disparity in Technology Fields

A 2023 report by the United Nations indicates that only 35% of positions in technology, engineering, and mathematics fields are held by women, highlighting a gender disparity. Moreover, just one-third of technology-related jobs are occupied by women.

Impact of Filtering on Rural Women’s Digital Participation

While Iran has approximately 11% of its female population employed and actively participating in the economy, Saudi Arabia has achieved a 36% female economic participation rate, surpassing its target of 30% as set in its Vision 2030 reform agenda.

Despite the potential and attractiveness of the technology sector for women, their representation remains low. Khatayoun Sepehri, a member of the Women Entrepreneurs Association, noted that statistics concerning women’s access to credit differ from those regarding women’s employment in the technology sector. According to global statistics, 10% of the world’s population are entrepreneurs, with only 10% of that figure being women. However, these statistics can vary significantly by region.

Sepehri explained, “In Oman, 35% of entrepreneurs are women. During the presidency of Mohammad Khatami, 10.6% of entrepreneurs were women, and during Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s tenure, the figure was 7.9%. In Iran, women account for approximately 10% of entrepreneurs. Overall, the employment statistics for women have increased compared to previous years.”

Regarding women’s career choices, Sepehri mentioned, “Many women prefer working in government jobs. The employment of women in government positions has increased significantly recently, and women also prefer government jobs over private sector employment.”

She further elaborated, “On the other hand, there is now a greater diversity of professions available to women. Women are working as salespeople, guards, receptionists, and in many other roles they previously did not have access to. This diversity has reduced their inclination toward information technology. For example, more women are working in journalism nowadays, creating a wider range of job opportunities for women.”

Sepehri pointed out that a gender gap has always existed, with one of the reasons being lower self-confidence among women compared to men. Another contributing factor is the responsibilities women have in their families and towards their children.

When discussing salary discrepancies, she noted, “In our culture, there is a prevailing belief that men are the breadwinners and should receive higher salaries. Even women hold this belief. However, women are often the heads of households in Iran. According to the International Labour Organization’s concept of ‘equal pay for equal work,’ salaries should be equal for men and women based on the job, but this is not happening.”

Impact of Filtering on Rural Women’s Employment Opportunities

 Filtering has impacted women’s employment opportunities as well. Mina Kamran, co-founder of Roostatic (a platform for selling handmade rural women’s products), explained that rural women have significantly reduced their participation in the digital economy and the internet due to the filtering of social networks. Many rural women used to sell their products on Instagram, but now they no longer have access to the platform.

Kamran also mentioned, “One of the reasons for the decline in rural women’s participation is the lack of access to VPNs (Virtual Private Networks) and circumvention tools. They can only use domestic messaging apps. Although rural women have smartphones, they cannot access filtered social networks.