Iranian women, who have long faced restrictions on attending football matches, will now be permitted to enter stadiums during the upcoming season, according to a senior official.
The head of Iran’s Football Federation announced the significant development, stating that the entry of women into stadiums will be a prominent feature of the league. This announcement was made during a live broadcast of the draw ceremony for Iran’s top-level football league, which is scheduled to commence next month.
Since the Islamic revolution in 1979, Iran has largely prohibited female spectators from attending football and other sports events, despite the absence of any explicit legal ban on their participation. Influential clerics in Iran have argued that women should be shielded from the masculine atmosphere and the sight of partially-clad male athletes. Some officials have also cited inadequate infrastructure in sports facilities as a reason for the restrictions.
However, the head of Iran’s Football Federation mentioned that certain stadiums in cities such as Isfahan, Kerman, and Ahvaz, though not in the capital Tehran, are prepared to host women. This development comes after limited instances where women were allowed to attend football matches, such as a national championship match in August, and a World Cup qualifier in October 2019.
The decision to permit women’s entry into stadiums has been prompted by increasing pressure on Iran, particularly after the tragic death of Sahar Khodayari, a female football fan who set herself on fire in 2019 out of fear of being arrested for disguising herself as a man to attend a match. Khodayari, known as the “blue girl” due to her support for Esteghlal, has become a symbol of the movement calling for gender equality in Iranian football.
The move to allow women into stadiums marks a significant step towards greater inclusivity and access for female fans in Iran’s football matches.
