Iran, Women and the Ongoing Struggle for Football ‘Freedom’

The most regressive step for women’s rights in Iran was taken in 1981 when a law was passed that prohibited women from attending men’s football matches. The ban was not put into law but was implemented and enforced by Iran’s ‘morality police’ under Sharia law.

This restriction has been met with constant resistance from activists and campaigners who have had to look for ways to circumvent it, such as dressing as men to be allowed in. This restriction not only denied women the right to watch football but also turned into a sign of the continued gender segregation in Iranian society. Luckily, outside of Iran, the world of sports is open to all comers. Find all the world’s major sporting events at https://melbet-au.com/en.

The Ban and Its Impact

However, some women have risked their lives to fight the ban; one recent one was Sahar Khodayari in 2019. Also known as the ‘Blue Girl,’ she tried to sneak into a stadium dressed as a male to watch her favorite team, Esteghlal. When threatened with arrest and imprisonment, she self-immolated herself and later died from the burns. This incident brought the attention of the international community and increased pressure on the Iranian authorities and FIFA to change the restrictions.

Who Is Responsible, and Why Is There No Change?

Gianni Infantino was elected in 2016 as the president of FIFA, which is the world’s football governing body, with the aim of restructuring the organization. However, FIFA was accused of not implementing its anti-discrimination policies in Iran even when there were assurances of change. Activists got angry when Infantino attended a men-only match in 2018. Some people opined that FIFA could have gone further in demanding change for women.

The following are some of the highlights during the tenure of Infantino as the FIFA president:

• Attendance at the Tehran derby without public protest.
• Criticism from international human rights groups.
• A letter to the Iranian FA demanding women’s access.
• Establishment of dialogue with Iranian authorities.
• No sanctions were imposed despite ongoing discrimination.

Women were allowed to watch the Iran vs. Cambodia match in 2019, but it was considered as an act of mere formality and not a reform. Women were still restricted in many stadiums, and FIFA continued to be criticized for its approach.

Iran has undergone such drastic changes since the Islamic Revolution of 1979. Due to Sharia law, gambling, which was extremely popular before, was also banned. Everything from horse betting to online casinos, including foreign companies such as Australian online slots, is banned in Iran.

Current Situation and Hope for Change

Iranian women are still prohibited from entering many stadiums, with the excuse that some stadiums do not have facilities for women. This explanation is considered to be an attempt to justify the ban in conservative areas of the world. In December 2023, approximately 3000 women were allowed to watch a Tehran derby, albeit sitting in a separate section. The recent election of Masoud Pezeshkian, a reformist, in the year 2024 as the president has given a ray of hope for other changes, such as the conditions of women in sports and other fields.