Nimble Fingers No Longer! Women's Employment in Iran

This chapter reexamines the evolution of women's labor force participation (LFP) and employment in Iran in light of census data from the latter half of the 20th century, roughly 1956 to 2006. It begins by reviewing the economic performance of Iran since the 1950s. It then examines the aggregate trends in women's LFP and employment. It considers the sectoral pattern of female employment and analyzes the role of age structure and education, and deals with trends in women's occupations and positions in the labor market. The chapter concludes with a discussion of likely opportunities and challenges for Iranian women in the coming decades.