Women in Iran and the Middle East Presented by Pari Namazie, PhD

for Österreichische Frauenföderation für Weltfrieden

6 February 2013

Artist: Mr. Rezvan Sadeghzadeh

Through my eyes…

A personal story

Where I come from, what shaped

and influenced me,

experiencing Iran and the

Islamic revolution

Artisit: Ms. Elaheh Heydari

Misperceptions and Realities

Artists: Left: Mr. Amir Rad, Right: Mr. Bijan Jalali

Pari Namazie 4

Misperceptions and Realities

Gender equality may be lacking in the Middle East, however it is not

only peculiar to Islam or the Middle East.

The status of women varies widely throughout the Middle East, Tunisia

being one of the most progressive countries and Saudia Arabia being

one of the least. Important not to put all the countries in the Middle East

together.

Although religion bears much responsibility for the inferior status of

women, it can not be solely blamed. Culture has been even more

prominent.

Even though women are seen to be inferior, women have enjoyed

political and social rights in many Muslim countries; women leaders

have led Bangladesh, Pakistan and Turkey, women ministers were

appointed in Iran, Syria, Jordan, Egypt, Iraq and Tunisia.

Contd.

Literacy and education among women is increasing in the Middle East

and the gap is closing between literacy of men and women.

Traditional Islamic law (set up in the 7th century Arabia) originally

advanced women’s rights vis-à-vis the existing norms of the time.

Those countries which were least dependent on the Muslim clergy are

the ones which made the most progress in law reform (eg. Turkey in

the 1920s, Tunisia in the 1950s and Iran in the 1960s.

Some Middle Eastern countries governments had to reach compromise

in their attempts to improve women’s status and were assisted by

liberal Muslim intellectuals who interpreted Islamic law to accommodate

the changing circumstances of modern societies.

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Women in Post-Revolutionary Iran

During the revolution, women fought alongside men as equals, fighting not for

equal rights but for the universal values of freedom and independence (in

previous ages in wars fought in the Middle East, in the Arab Spring).

In Iran, indeed after the Islamic revolution, women believed their rights would

have been equal to that of men, but there were changes we did not bargain for.

A number of these were:

• Compulsory veiling which gradually came into force,

• Early work force retirement for women, preference for women to stay at home,

• 1967 Family Protection law was abolished (divorce, polygamy – not practiced),

• Birth control policies were abolished (later re-instated when in 80s our birth rate

reached 3.5%),

• Age of marriage was reduced (from 18 to 13),

• Women were not allowed in public office, not allowed to be judges (slightly changed

now),

• Segregation of schools, public transport, sports…

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On the bright side…

Artist: Mr. Ahmad Morshedloo

On the bright side

Hejab allowed women safe entrance into society, education,

employment,

Segregation of school allowed girls to focus more on studies,

Now over 60% of university entrants are girls, over 30% active

participation in workforce are women (this trend is seen in other Middle

Eastern countries), in time we will have more educated women in Iran

than men,

Women are seen and heard in all spheres,

Women’s education has pushed for modernity, challenging paternalistic

and traditional structures.

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Trends in Iran –

Where are we heading? Artist: Mr. Nazar Mousavinia

Socio Economic Trends in Iran

Results of the latest nation-wide Census (October 2011) show a socio-

economic transformation in the past two decades:

Population growth is now 1.29%, down from 3.2% in 1980s.

Despite a much higher population (over 75 million), the number of new-

born children in the decade from 2001 and 2010 is only half of the

number in the decade 1981 to 1990.

Average age of marriage has increased: for women, it is now 24 years

(it was 19.5 in 1976) and for men it is 27 years.

Family size is shrinking; An average Iranian family consisted of more

than 5 members in 1976, but has less than 2 children today (average of

3.6 persons in one family).

Iran is now a solidly urban society (70% urbanization compared to 45%

in 1976).

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Contd.

33% of the women in the age group between 20 and 34 years and 50%

of the men in the same age group are unmarried and living single.

The mother/ woman of 12.1% of all families in the country is the main

breadwinner of the family. This number has gone up from 9.5% and

has increased by 900,000 families in the last decade.

There is an alarming trend in divorce. Nationwide, one out of seven

marriages end up in divorce, mainly in large cities, Tehran especially.

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Impact on Iran

There is no doubt that the socio-economic developments of the past

decade will have an impact on the future value system in the Iranian

society.

The average Iranian is moving away from the traditional Islamic values.

The prevalence of families headed by women, the increase in the

number of divorce cases, the decision by young Iranians not to get

married and to live single as well as the increasing age of marriage all

clash with traditional Islamic beliefs.

Reactions by the government: education: barring women from certain

subjects at university, abolishing birth control policies,…

Pari Namazie 12

Contd.

Experts agree that there are three distinct components causing this

transformation, i.e.:

Urbanization and globalization and the emergence of international

(mainly western) norms as behavior patterns;

Economic and socio-economic realities in the country, i.e. the fact that

a young couple have to both work to make ends meet as well as the

negative outlook of the Iranian society’s future; and

Disenchantment with Islamic values that have been imposed on the

Iranian society.

Also important to note the changing role of the mother/ woman in

Iranian society; who does not want to be subordinated by men (fathers

or husbands) this will have an impact on generations to come.

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To end

Countries experiencing the Arab Awakening should learn from the

Iranian case and be careful what they adopt for their women,

The trend in the Middle East is towards modernity and urbanization,

there is also an additional trend towards Islamisation mainly as we feel

pressured by the West,

One of the most important developments in the Islamic world is the

increase of educated women;

Educated mothers bring up educated children and the more the mental

frames change, the roles of women will also change;

Iran is an example of how modernizing forces confront traditional and

male-dominated power structures – it is a push-pull situation between

these forces, but the overall trend is towards equality in many aspects.

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To leave you with

Samira Makhmalbaf, a young Iranian film

director on presenting her film the Apple (a true

story about two young girls who were locked in

their home for 11 years) at the Cannes Film

Festival, she was the youngest Director ever

aged 18:

On being asked what kind of a society locks up

its young daughters for 11 years?

Her response:

The same society which allows a 17 year old

girl to make a movie.

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Pari Saberi renowned Iranian theater director:

“The men might try to the boss in public, but they

know that it’s the women who are the boss at home!”

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Sportswomen

Skiing in Iran

Shirin Ebadi – Iranian Human Rights Lawyer and

Nobel Peace Prize Laureate

Nomadic Tribes

In the words of our Rumi:

A traveler is not he who tires

easily and fast

A traveler is he who walks slowly and consistently

Thank you!

If you have any questions,

contact me on

pari@namazie.com

Artist: Mr. Amir Hossein Akhavan