Iranian woman MP demands equal rights

A female member of the Iranian parliament has called on the religious authorities to modify existing custody laws and let women enjoy the same rights as men.

Speaking during a parliamentary session carried live on state radio, the pro-reform MP, Fatemeh Khatami, stressed the need for women to have a say on the future of their children in case of their father's absence or death.

Under current laws, a woman whose child needs an emergency operation in a hospital does not have the right to authorise it herself.

If the father dies, guardianship over the child does not remain with the mother, but is given to the grandfather.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service