Case Study

Case Study: Women in Iran

By Tilly Behrmann

Overview

Contrary to many worldwide revolutions occurring in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, the Iranian Revolution effectively brought about a decrease in the rights of women. From 1925 until 1979, the Pahlavi Dynasty ruled Iran. Under this era, in an attempt to introduce a new culture of modernization and westernization, the Shahs (the rulers of this time period) introduced a variety of social, political, economic, and educational reforms. Many of these reforms systematically revolutionized the role of women in pre-revolutionary Iran. By passing legislation to reform traditional Islamic familial practices and customs, the social significance of women was heightened in the years leading up to the Islamic Revolution.
However, in the advent of Ayatollah Khomeini's rise to power, and the revolution that coincided, many of Reza Shah's and Mohammed Reza Shah's reforms were repealed, and traditional fundamentalist restrictions were reinstated. Initially, many women supported the Revolution, as they believed it would created more educational, economic, and democratic life for the public, as opposed to the Shah's corrupt and dictatorial nature. Conversely, these same women were faced with the same authoritarian government and an even more oppressive regime.

Before the Revolution

     In efforts to modernize, Reza Shah and his son, Mohammed Reza Shah, set out to nationalize and secularize many of the country's institutions. Prior to the Shah's rule, much of Iran's culture, legislation, and societal choices were based upon Sharia Law and the jurisdiction of the ulama (the educated Muslim class). In order to fulfill the goals of secularization, the influence of Sharia Law and the ulama were drastically reduced. For women, this meant new opportunities for establishing western ideals, and in addition, rights.
     This change was symbolically represented by new legislation regarding the dress code in Iran. In 1936, in attempts to westernize, Reza Shah passed laws encouraging more western clothing, European hats, and most importantly, a ban on the Chadur - the head to toe covering that Islamic women were required to wear. Later, the traditional Hijab was outlawed. While some women viewed this law as oppressive and offensive (the Chador and Hijab were symbols of the Islamic faith, as well as a means of protection and humility), many women felt that the veils were means of subjugation and backwardness; thus, their termination meant a new era of freedom for women.
   However, the cultural and social reach of the Shahs' legislation were not just limited to clothing. Culturally, women had increased availability to education. Not only this, but the marriage age was raised to 18 for women and 20 for men. Both of these developments ensured that more women could enter the workforce. Women began to contribute increasingly to the social balance of the country, as women's magazines began to appear, as well as the Women's Organization of Iran in 1966, which rallied to enhance Iranian women's rights. Women were also permitted with the right to vote, as well as the right to get an abortion, again, signifying the increase in women's education and self-determination. Women began to play a prominent role in the public sphere, as they took jobs as high ranking public officials, athletes, scientists, and artists.
     Personally, women were granted additional power within the family setting. With the Family Protection Act of 1967 and 1973, matters of divorce and marriage were made legal, rather than personal.

Section 3. The court shall carry out an investigation or take any steps it deems necessary for the throwing light on the subject of litigation and for administrating justice, as making an inquiry through witnesses or persons having knowledge of the facts or inviting the help of social workers and the like, as and how it is required.

Section 4. The court may exempt either of the parties (to a litigation) from the payment of the court fees as well as the fees of the experts and arbitrators and other (relevant) fees after declaring the party as destitute, and (while doing so) the court shall also appoint an advocate for providing legal aid to the said party.

In case the party declared as destitute by the court is the wining party (in the litigation), the losing party shall be liable to the payment of the aforesaid fees as well as (the fees of) the aforesaid advocate.

Section 5. The advocates and experts mentioned in the above section shall be bound to obey the orders of the court.

This meant that courts could settle disputes, rather than just the husband. This act effectively changed the laws regarding polygamy, stating that a man needed both the court's permission, in addition to his wife's permission. Although inheritance laws remained the same (favoring the man), women were encouraged to own property.

Seen here is a pre-Revolutionary Iranian officer. Increased education and rights allowed women to become high ranking civil servants. Before the Islamic revolution, women were encouraged to join the workforce.

Results of the Revolution

     Because of the corrupt and overly-authoritative nature of the Pahlavi rule, many women supported the Islamic Revolution in Iran. Women were given new confidence with advent of readily accessible education, and thus, were apt to participate in the overthrow of the Pahlavi monarchy.
   However, after the Islamic Revolution and the creation of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Iranian women found many of their rights and privileges established in the Pahlavi Dynasty nullified. Ayatollah Khomeini attempted to undue all that seemed western, viewing it at un-Islamic and unholy. For instance, in 1979, the veil was again made mandatory. In the initial years following revolution, woman who failed to cover their entire bodies were faced with jail time or lashings.
   The role of women in the family setting was again diminished, as the right to a divorce was drastically limited. Under these new laws, women could only file for divorce if they could prove that their husband was unfit for providing children or income. The Family Protection Act was annulled, thus, jeopardizing the rights of child custody and guardianship for Iranian women. Most notably, the legal age of marriage for women was reduced from 18 to 9; this age change also held true for the age in which a woman could be charged as an adult. This new legislation signifies the renewed domestic role of woman. Unlike pre-revolutionary Iran, women were discouraged from education, and encouraged to find a husband. Thus, the legal age of marriage influenced a drastic decrease in the number of women in the Iranian workforce.
   In addition to these cultural changes, socially women became increasingly segregated from their male counterparts. This segregation is seen in a press conference, where an official addresses the issue of sports:

“We will pay attention to women’s sports more than the past, but we will not use women as tools. In women’s sports, indecency and rendezvous with men will have no place. Women will play their sports out of the sight of men. We will even build walls around tennis courts. There is nothing wrong with women acting as referees for the games played by women. There is nothing wrong either if spectators are only women. And if you wish to report these games, you’d better think of hiring a woman reporter.”

Before the revolution, artwork and literature flourished under women artists. However, after the revolution, censorship ensured that much of this culture was banished. For instance, ballet was outlawed, as it showcased too much of the woman body. Other forms of dance were outlawed, as they included men and women touching one another. Books with strong or promiscuous women characters were outlawed, as well as artwork deemed provocative.

Iranian women are wearing the traditional Chador. Before the Iranian Revolution, women were banned from wearing this garment; however, after the revolution, sporting other types of clothing became symbols of western infidelity, and thus, outlawed.

Changes and Continuities

The Iranian Revolution brings about many continuities in women's rights, particularly the role of religion. Often times throughout history, society's interpretations of religious texts have been contorted to subjugate women and minorities. In the words of Iranian author and women's activist, Azar Nafisi, "For more than 30 years the Islamic regime and its apologists have tried to dismiss women's struggle in Iran as part of a western ploy. They claim that the repressive laws against Iranian women are part of their Islamic and Iranian heritage. Thus the regime has deprived Iranian women not just of their present rights, but also of their history and their past. The regime's victims are not only atheists, secularists, or people of other religions and faiths, but also Muslims, those whose interpretation of their religion is based on different principles, those who disagree with the Islamic Republic's views have been punished and deprived of their most basic rights." Not only does this quote indicate religious manipulation in designating unequal roles for women, but it also depicts the ongoing struggle between the western world and the eastern world. Thus, the changes seen within the Iranian revolution illustrate the continued feud between western ideals, and the traditional Middle Eastern ideals.
Despite these depressing continuities, the situation in the Middle East continues to progress for women. As women gain more and more access to western countries through new technologies, the women become increasingly empowered. For example, in 1997, women defied the ban on entering soccer stadiums. This change in audacity provides hope for a more equal and empowered class of women in the future.

Citations

"Family Protection Laws." Foundation for Iranian Studies. N.p., n.d. Web. 06 May 2013.Nafisi, Azar.

"Women Who Fight for Freedom." The Guardian. Guardian News and Media, 06 Oct. 2009. Web. 06 May 2013.

"Women in Iran." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 28 Apr. 2013. Web. 06 May 2013.

"Women, the Victims of the Iranian Revolution." A Forum on Human Rights and Democracy in Iran. N.p., n.d. Web. 06 May 2013.