Women's Rights

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%3Cp%3EFrom%20Wikipedia%20--%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EThe%20women%27s%20rights%20movement%20in%20Iran%20has%20a%20very%20long%20and%20incredibly%20complex%20history.%20%20The%20modern%20movement%20first%20emerged%20around%20the%20turn%20of%20the%2019th%20century%2C%20but%20really%20grew%20in%20the%201960s%20and%201970s%20in%20conjunction%20with%20civil%20rights%20movements%20worldwide.%20%20Under%20Sharia%20law%20in%20the%201960s%20and%201970s%2C%20they%20awarded%20women%20the%20right%20to%20vote%2C%20ended%20extra-judicial%20divorce%2C%20and%20put%20restrictions%20on%20polygamy.%20%20Despite%20their%20involvement%20in%20the%20Iranian%20Revolution%20of%201979%2C%20women%20rights%20regarding%20attire%2C%20employment%2C%20and%20segregation%20were%20curtailed%20by%20the%20government%20under%20Ayatollah%20Khomeni.%20%20The%20movement%20made%20small%20gains%20in%20the%201990s%20under%20Mohammed%20Khatami%2C%20who%20appointed%20women%20to%20positions%20in%20government%2C%20but%20since%20the%20rise%20of%20Mahmoud%20Ahmadinejad%20in%202005%2C%20women%27s%20rights%20activists%20have%20been%20beaten%2C%20persecuted%2C%20imprisoned%2C%20and%20executed%2C%20and%20the%20government%20has%20desperately%20tried%20to%20squash%20the%20movement.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A

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%3Cp%3EThe%20New%20York%20Times%3A%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EHillary%20Rodham%20Clinton%20has%20been%20an%20advocate%20for%20women%27s%20rights%20since%20she%20was%20the%20first%20lady%20in%201995.%20%20%20As%20the%20Secretary%20of%20State%2C%20Hillary%20is%20working%20to%20establish%20policy%20and%20programs%20that%20will%20ensure%20the%20health%2C%20safety%20and%20livelihood%20of%20women%20worldwide.%20%20Read%20about%20her%20views%20and%20ideas.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A

%3Cp%3EFrom%20UE%20--%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EWomen%20make%20up%2045%20percent%20of%20the%20world%E2%80%99s%20workforce%20yet%20women%20account%20for%2070%20percent%20of%20the%20world%E2%80%99s%20population%20living%20in%20poverty.%20Women%20in%20developing%20countries%20work%20an%20average%20of%2060%20to%2090%20hours%20per%20week.%20World%20wide%2C%20women%20earn%20an%20average%20of%2075%20percent%20of%20men%E2%80%99s%20pay%20in%20nonagricultural%20work.%20In%20the%20U.S.%20women%20are%20working%20longer%20hours%20to%20make%20ends%20meet.%20Inequality%20has%20reached%20levels%20not%20seen%20since%20the%201920s.%20To%20cut%20their%20labor%20costs%20and%20increase%20their%20profits%2C%20companies%20intensify%20their%20exploitation%20of%20women.%20In%2010%20years%2C%2080%20percent%20of%20all%20women%20in%20industrialized%20countries%20and%2070%20percent%20of%20all%20women%20globally%20will%20work%20outside%20of%20the%20home.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A