Scales of violence: Iranian Kurdistan in context

As a contribution to contextual global sociology, this article begins with an overview of laws and policies adopted across the Middle East and North Africa region, characterized by neopatriarchal gender regimes. It then turns to Iran, to elucidate Iran’s divergence from the global and regional trend and reasons behind that divergence, and the long road to a law on violence against women. To highlight sub-national variation, the article delves into the case of Iranian Kurdistan, where resource and ethnic specificities constitute a distinct case of violence and intersectionality, and where the ‘continuum of violence’ encompasses the household, community, the state, and the international system. The study draws on official reports and data, along with field research conducted in Kurdistan on forms of violence and on women’s responses. It ends with recommendations for measures to enhance women’s physical security.