A Member of Parliament: The Ban on Women's Presence in Stadiums Contradicts Citizens' Rights

The head of the Citizens' Rights faction in the Islamic Consultative Assembly criticized the 'male-dominated' nature of urban, sports, and recreational spaces in Iran, stating that the ban on women's entry into stadiums is 'against the Charter of Citizens' Rights.' Abdolkarim Hosseinzadeh, in an interview with the official news agency of the Islamic Consultative Assembly (House of the Nation), considered women's presence in stadiums a 'natural right' and called for the 'free' presence of families in sports venues. Hosseinzadeh noted that the laws of the Islamic Republic have always emphasized 'equality of rights between men and women,' adding that 'the prohibition of Iranian women from entering stadiums contradicts the Charter of Citizens' Rights.' According to this representative, 'it is unacceptable that women are deprived of going to the stadium due to the inappropriate behavior of men, and Iranian men should also express their objections in this regard.' The representative from Naqdeh and Oshnavieh described urban and collective spaces in Iran as 'more masculine' and added that 'people of any gender and age group cannot feel safe and secure in them.' Hosseinzadeh warned that the demand of Iranian women for presence in stadiums, even if 'not important to many,' should be taken 'seriously so that it does not resurface later in the form of social complexes and humiliations.' These remarks come as the President of FIFA announced that the President of Iran promised him that conditions for women's presence in stadiums would be provided, while also stating that implementing this promise would take time. Gianni Infantino stated on February 29 last year that FIFA has two options in dealing with the ban on women's entry into stadiums: one is condemnation and the other is dialogue with country leaders to convince them. He emphasized that he chose to negotiate with the Islamic Republic's officials and added that the President of Iran assured him that the possibility of women's presence in stadiums would be provided. In recent years, some Iranian women have managed to enter Azadi Stadium by changing their appearance and attire to a male appearance. Some of them have also been identified and arrested by the police present at the stadium. Officials of Hassan Rouhani's government have previously reported efforts for women's presence in stadiums to watch matches, but the ban still remains in place. Last August, the popular program '90' conducted a survey in which over 1.6 million people participated. Among five demands for sports in Iran, 'women's entry into stadiums' was the most requested by the audience with 33 percent. Eshaq Jahangiri, the first vice president of Hassan Rouhani, previously acknowledged that 'women's presence in stadiums is a demand' and stated that 'some have prevented women from entering stadiums.' Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, during his first presidency in 2006, requested in a letter to the Physical Education Organization to facilitate women's presence in stadiums, but this directive was shelved after opposition from several Shia clerics. Meanwhile, the Cultural and Social Council of Women announced last December that due to the opposition of Ayatollah Naser Makarem Shirazi, a Shia cleric residing in Qom, to women's presence in stadiums, the council deemed the approval of a resolution on this matter 'unnecessary' and removed it from its agenda. The ban on women's presence in stadiums has led several Asian and global federations, including volleyball, to warn Iran that if women are excluded from stadiums, Iran will face sanctions.