The Iranian legal system assigns a woman's life a value that is half that of a man's, which results in alarming judicial outcomes that penalize victims rather than perpetrators. In a disturbing case highlighted by Shirin Ebadi in her memoir, a judge determined that the compensation required for the execution of two men convicted of a murder was greater than the life of a nine-year-old girl who was killed.

This ruling compelled the victim's family to gather a significant amount of money to pay for the executions of the men responsible for their daughter's death, illustrating a grave injustice within the legal framework that prioritizes financial considerations over human life.