Understanding Iran's welfare regime: The interplay of community, family, market, and state in a religious context

Abstract

This article examines Iran's welfare regime and pays close attention to the gendered and religious dimensions of Iranian social policies. Despite the formal recognition of social security coverage as a citizenship right, Iran’s welfare system remains uneven in its coverage. About half of Iran's population benefits from state-provided social insurance programs, with others dependent on community support and social assistance. Simultaneously, while there have been notable advancements in educational attainment and reproductive health among women, a significant proportion of women are not attached to the labor market and rely heavily on family and state social assistance rather than on social insurance coverage. Emphasizing the role of religion, this article illuminates the country's social policy landscape and the multifaceted factors underpinning or hindering its welfare formation.