15 Sep Reflections of A Generation (pt. 5): Lifting the Veil – The Fight For Gender Equality in Iran
Iran Echo Boomers: Women Behind the Veil
American baby boomers are well aware of the continual struggle to achieve gender equality in a male dominated society. In fact, Baby boomers, feminists, and other concerned activists continue to challenge perceived injustices to this very day. Iranian echo boomers are finding that their own struggles in this regard are very much akin to those that baby boomers experienced during the 1960s. The comparison is only in essence, however. For the Iranian activist, gender issues are more complicated than the simple bias of a misogynistic (in a cultural sense) social structure. Rather, there are the dual issues of cultural bias and religious beliefs that have to be dealt with.
What is worse, however, is that Iranian women have be subjected to oppressive restrictions under the guise of religion that in fact, have little or no basis at all in the tenants of Islam. What is problematic about this is that while cultural bias can be challenged to a significant degree, religious based restrictions cannot. Because Iran is a theocracy, challenges to the religious underpinnings are not tolerated. Protest of this nature will result in imprisonment or worse.
During the early period after the Islamic Revolution of 1979, this practice was especially rampant. Women, for example, could not seek a divorce from their husbands – regardless of the degree of ill treatment or abuse that was leveled against her. This is a clear contradiction to Islamic teachings which prescribe that women have recourse for divorce in abusive situations. Women, during this time, were also restricted from employment opportunities and it was recommended that they stay at home. Again, this is contrary to the detailed teachings of Islam which does not prohibit a woman from seeking employment (provided she doesn’t neglect her responsibilities to her family). Indeed, the Prophet’s own wife Khadija was a wealthy merchant.
Iranian women have been fighting these contradictions and other injustices since the revolution. Iranian women had gained many concessions prior to the revolution and truly expected that those hard won gains would continue under an Islamic system. While many, if not most of those gains were lost, a great deal of women had nevertheless benefited from the increased educational opportunities that were made available prior to the revolution. This resulted in a generation of educated women that were unlikely to settle for anything less than a level of gender equality that was commiserate with their understanding of the modern world.
Consider, for example, that one in every five Ph.D. students in Iran is a woman. About 56% of all natural science university students are women. Indeed, well over 70% of engineering students in Iran are women. The Iranian government, while not pleased with these numbers, has realized that much of the nation’s intellectual capital is invested in women. In order to compete on a national stage in areas of technology, business and other areas, it is necessary to have the input and participation of women. This fact alone has been a means for women to push the gender equality platform, albeit slowly, at least in areas of employment opportunities.
What is clear is that there is a desire for Iranian women to embrace many of the freedoms that American baby boomers and others Western women enjoy. But it goes beyond just wanting western style comforts; rather it is a desire to embrace those basic and fundamental liberties that are inherent to success and happiness. American baby boomers have shown that equal participation of women in the social structure results in significant societal contributions. In order for Iran to progress to its stated hope of being on equal footing with other industrialized nations, it will need to capitalize on the full participation of its female citizens.
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Reflections of A Generation (pt. 5): Lifting the Veil – The Fight For Gender Equality in Iran is part of Boomer Yearbook’s continuing series of psychological articles on World Religions, politics and understanding as a solution to types of discrimination. We believe knowledge is power. We’d love to hear what you think.
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