Iranian Women Strive For Equal Rights

In 1979, Iran underwent an Islamic revolution which had a significant impact on the lives of its women. Women’s freedoms were limited and also their role in politics, education and everyday life. Women were required to wear certain clothing only exposing the face and hands. Makeup was forbidden because it was considered a threat to women’s purity and a dangerous distraction for men. Yet in recent years, an increasing number of women became rebellious against the dress code by wearing lipstick, painting their nails and wearing their veils loosely to expose their hair. The common risk was being caught by the police and conservatives if they did not follow the dress code.

There was a growing presence of women on Iran’s college campuses; the movement toward gender parity is more than cosmetic. According to a July 2000 report by the Feminist Majority Foundation, a Washington, D.C.-based women's rights organization, between 1990 and 2000 the number of women attending universities tripled, and women students now outnumber men in fields such as medicine and the social sciences. Many politicians say the growth in the number of women educated will have a profound effect on Iran’s society in the future.

Women have also begun to make gains in Iran's political system. There are currently 11 women in Iran's 290-member parliament, and in the June 2001 election, two women registered to run for president. Women have also become an increasingly important voting bloc. Mohammed Javad Larijini, a former parliamentarian, says they are beginning to present a challenge to conservative officials who are against the expansion of women's freedoms.

However despite all the significant progress in women’s rights in Iran, many observers say that the struggle is far from over. There will still be a struggle for women’s rights in the future.
(Facts On File News Service)