On Jan. 15, Iranian lawmakers approved a new law that would oblige state-run and public organizations to accept early retirement requests of female employees who have worked at least 20 years, without pushing any age limit. At present, the age limit for early retirement of women covered by the Social Security Organization (SSO) is 52. The law needs to be approved by the constitutional watchdog, the Guardian Council, before going into effect.
The legislation, which is part of the sixth Five-Year Economic Development Plan (March 2017-March 2022), has prompted a swift outcry by pension authorities. Given that most pension funds rely heavily on government resources to meet their obligations, officials have complained that the move would impose a heavy financial burden on not only struggling pension funds but also the state budget.