How can Iran Modernize Women’s Rights in the Modern Day?

The world has been moving towards the future faster than ever with the innovation of new technologies and creation of new social movements that push the world to monumental levels of societal inclusivity. With these changes comes the challenge of adapting different regions to these new forms of progression. Similar to the United States there are large cities within Iran filled with a variety of people from different backgrounds, yet the cultural and religious differences have made it much more difficult for Iranian society to modernize itself in terms of gender. This is because of the difference in between traditional and modern ideals within Iranian society. This has caused many protests and controversies in Iran and is overdue for a solution which effectively subdues the ongoing tension within the country. A solution to this problem would be for the government to start by implementing policies in a gradual manner for Women to have equal rights. This could be complimented along with the encouragement modern teachings of Islam.

It is first important to understand how a Iranian traditionalist mindset contrasts from a modernist one. A traditionalist mindset within Iran follows outdated principles of patriarchy and consists of strict rules concerning interactions between Men and Women. These traditional ideologies are heavily embedded within the history of Iran. This is seen within the history of the hijab which was required to be worn by all women in Iran “…after the victory of the Islamists in the revolution of 1979, most of the modernising efforts and institutions of the 55-year-old Pahlavi dynasty were either abandoned or completely reversed. Some of the most visible of these institutions pertained to women.” Women were forced to wear Hijabs and since then this hasn’t changed. Women are also supposed expected to rely on their husbands due to these strict gender roles. This is apparent with the negative stigma surrounding divorce within Iran. Divorced women have a rough time living knowing with people knowing they have been divorced. For example in the PBS two part docuseries Our Man in Tehran the main character’s assistant Somayeh is a divorced woman who came from a traditional-minded family. She explains how difficult it was for her family to support her decision and the other struggles which came with being a divorced woman. In one part specifically she mentions the struggle of finding an apartment to live in because most landlords didn’t want to allow a divorced woman to rent out an apartment. A traditionalist may even think of  “…the notion of ‘gender equality’ as ‘unacceptable to the Islamic Republic.’” Although this a more polarizing statement it is one which in some cases may be a reality. These are to some extent a normality for a Iranian citizen. They may even view female equality as a form of westernization in which they are strongly against.

A modernist within Iran is more progressive in thought than a traditionalist. These people don’t necessarily want to westernize but adapt Iranian society into a modern context in which they are able to benefit from modern morals as well. There have been numerous protests for women’s rights in Iran by modernist/feminist thinkers. In the article Iran and the headscarf protests by Suzanne Maloney and Eliora Katz the nature of one hijab protest by Iranian Journalist Masih Alinejad. She describes the act of her running through the streets as a crime in Iran. This is representative of the basic freedoms which become a great complexity in Iran due to the remaining traditional influence in the country’s laws.

The issue female of inequality in Iran can be solved by gradually making new laws which will be in favor of women’s rights instead of completely overhauling a ton of the laws in place. This will allow time for some of the gender norms and rules to be implemented instead of rushed and during this process the government can also encourage modernized teachings of Islam. This would be particularly useful because the Iranian government isn’t separated from Islam in fact they are intertwined. According to Encyclopedia Britannica’s article Government and Society of Iran “The country’s 1979 constitution put into place a mixed system of government, in which the executive, parliament, and judiciary are overseen by several bodies dominated by the clergy.” This means religion is one of the foundational components of Iran’s government. This allows the government to have a role in promoting the modern teachings of Islam without forcing it on people. This would affect traditionalist thinkers over time in how they perceive some of their outdated principles and they may slowly start to adjust to these new modernized teachings and/or principles. 

Although these values of traditionalism are deeply embedded in history and religion within Iran it is possible to unweave these norms and ways of thinking pertaining to women. In the United States it was a gradual process and as laws were passed in support of the feminism movement it became somewhat of a norm for women to establish a life outside of the domestic sphere. The main difference between the modernization within the United States and Iran is the presence of religion heavily within the government. Although one may be able to argue that the American government is predominantly Christian so religion does technically play a part in American politics. In Iran the clergy is directly connected with the government wielding power that can change Iranian Society. As simple as it may sound it may work and one place to start would be by allowing Women to unveil themselves if they choose.

Although modernizing Iran spans throughout many different topic and spheres of living one of the most important is gender equality within Iran and in order to modernize this must be solved in order to progress. Internationally now is the most free women have ever been with some places being more open to this concept than others and because of this many new advancements in societies have been made due to active participation from both Men and Women. This may relieve Iran of many ongoing tensions within their society and increase stability. Iran’s next move is to be determined, but I think my solution and many others at least deserve to be considered for modernizing Iran for the better.