Women's Rights In Iran

Words: 1914
Pages: 8

The Iranian Revolution of 1979 was an unprecedently important event not only in the nation, but on a global scale as well. This was the transformation of the world’s first ever Islamic republic. Regime changes affect a multitude of areas, but one interesting area to examine (especially considering the circumstances) is women’s rights. This area has always been a subject for discussion considering the authoritarian nature of Iran, but the mixture of Islam (specifically Sharia Law) has led to a lot of misconception on the standing of women. The true question that stands to be answered is, what impact has the Islamic movement had on the status of women in Iran? This question will be answered through an analysis of the following sectors in women’s …show more content…
Rezai-Rashti also explains how “Khomeini in several speeches and interviews acknowledged the participation of women in the revolution and their important role within family and society. He advocated for women’s education as long as no one wants to do something against chastity or harmful to the nation” (472). So, while it would seem that the more liberalized leader, the Shah, would have a regime that had greater freedom for women in terms of education, the literature and statistics seem to suggest the opposite. This is due to not only the leadership style of the Ayatollah but also become of the circumstantial situations surrounding the …show more content…
For example, scholar Adele Ferdows argues that “Khomeini asks women to recognize and accept that it is necessary that there be limitations on women’s individual freedoms; that although women may vote, be elected, and choose professions, those things must be done within the framework of Islam” (291). Through Ferdows explanation the Ayatollah seems understanding and sympathetic to women’s rights as long as what they do doesn’t violate the religion. Haleh Esfandiari, on the other hand, presented the idea that “the Islamic government suspended and rescinded most of the laws pertaining to women’s rights, especially in the domain of personal and family law” (4). He then continued on to specifically target the figureheads of the regime by explaining that, “the leaders of the Islamic Republic from the beginning were intensely concerned, even obsessed, with the need to control women and to define in the broadest sense women’s role in society”