The political participation of women in Iran is an important topic for discussion because it is a very relevant and highly debated topic in Iran today. Women’s rights and participation in politics gained recognition after many women supported and aided the Revolution of 1979. Women were also put into the political limelight by their political participation in the Iran-Iraq war that lasted for eight years. Their movement for political participation drew nationwide attention when the leader of the 1979 Revolution and future Supreme Leader of Iran, Ayatollah Khomeini, saw the significance of women in socio-political developments and encouraged them to engage in those activities. Unfortunately, conservatives politicians and clerics did not share similar views so the progression of women’s rights in laws and the government has been inconsistent and always changing. There is a very slim minority of women that hold federal office today in Iran and many female active participants in politics feel underrepresented and treated unequally compared to men. While there are many aspects to delve into on women’s participation in politics, the main points are: the current standings of women in office and politics, the endeavors that reformists are pursuing for women’s rights and equality, and how interactions with the outside world have impacted the advancement of women into politics.
The political participation of women in Iran hasn’t always been so low. In 1936, women gained the right to vote and run for parliament. The Family Protection Law was also in place, and it allowed women to divorce and have custody over the children. Before the 1979 Revolution, known as the Pahlavi era, 22 women held seats in Parliament and 333 women were elected to work on local councils. The theocracy that resulted from the 1979 Revolution sent women’s rights back decades. Many women were removed from their government positions. The Islamic Republic now has equality-with-difference, which means that divorce and custody laws favor males. Today women hold only 17 of the 290 seats in the Iranian parliament, which equates to roughly 5.9% of the total seats. The Iranian parliament, also known as the Majles, has been predominantly filled with men since it was formed in 1906. While it is nowhere close to equal representation, the Majles has seen a 2.8% increase in the amount of seats women now hold. Women have also won positions in city council and cabinet, but in very small numbers. Women are not permitted to hold office in any of the other political institutions, including: the Guardian Council, the Expediency Council, the Assembly of Religious Experts, the Judiciary (female judges were removed after the 1979 Revolution), and the Supreme Leader. 30 female candidates registered to run in the 2013 presidential election however, they were all disqualified by the Guardian Council.
While female politicians and male reformists have been pursuing amendments, women’s rights organizations, and new laws for equality, many of them have failed or been vetoed by the Guardian Council. The rights and laws for women have gone back and forth on the scale of equality and freedoms throughout recent history depending on whether the president is a reformist or conservative. It also depends on the active amount of pushback from the conservative government officials. Many conservatives are pushing against these organizations and programs which is why very few of them have passed. Former conservatist president Ahmadinejad set reform movements very far back and reversed rights that women have had for decades. Despite many setbacks, women keep pushing for more and more political rights. They want to see the return of the ability and political activeness that they had before the revolution of 1979 and more.
This issue impacts the world by making large, developed countries aware of the inequality between women and men in Iran. The world impacts Iran because many educated women, especially before the 1979 Revolution, saw the rights that other women had in other countries and wanted more equality and political activeness for themselves. Educated women believe that they should have more political rights granted. Media outside of Iran has impacted women’s political activeness by the way it presents Iran to the outside world. Communications scholar Elli Roushanzamir called Iranian women, “Iran’s logo,” because Iran has used pictures and news of women being socially and politically active to create a more modern and democratic look.
Women’s participation in politics is rapidly growing but considering the massive push back of these rights, it will take a considerable amount time for women to be able to hold more governmental positions. While the number of women participating in politics and trying to make their voice heard is growing, the theocracy will likely never allow full equality between males and females. This is because of the majority in government which is filled with conservationists and clerics who stand against having more women in politics. They believe that women belong in the home and are subordinate to man. They back up their beliefs teachings from Sharia law. However, women’s rights is in the top four issues debated in national elections. The rights that women have won and are continuing to fight for will be near impossible for the Iranian government to regress.