Human Rights Advisors of FIFA Demand Deadline for Iran's Football Federation to Lift Ban on Women in Stadiums

A committee of the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) on Monday, December 5, called for a deadline for Iran to lift its ban on women entering stadiums. The FIFA Human Rights Advisory Council stated that "FIFA must be clear and transparent" in providing a timeline for implementation to the Iranian Football Federation and warned of "predictable sanctions if this is not done." According to an Associated Press report, FIFA's regulations prohibit any form of gender discrimination, although FIFA officials have practically refrained from publicly criticizing the Iranian government for the ban on women attending stadiums. Despite widespread protests in Iran and on social media, women still do not have official permission to attend stadiums. In July of this year, 18 prominent Iranian women wrote a letter to FIFA officials asking the global football federation to "demand that the Islamic Republic completely end the ban on women's presence in stadiums." In their letter to FIFA, the exclusion of women from sports stadiums was described as "a violation of one of the fundamental principles" of international football, which emphasizes non-discrimination and the fight against it. The selective presence of Iranian women in Azadi Stadium occurred under pressure from FIFA. The first attendance of women at Azadi Stadium in Tehran dates back to the nights of the World Cup in Russia last summer when a number of women were able to watch Iran's national football team's matches in that competition through television in the stadium. On October 26, 2018, during a friendly match between Iran and Bolivia at Azadi Stadium, apparently due to FIFA's threat, a very limited number of women, about one hundred, were selectively allowed to attend the stadium. On November 19 of this year, during the return match of the AFC Champions League final at Azadi Stadium in Tehran between Persepolis of Iran and Kashima Antlers of Japan, a section was also allocated for female spectators due to FIFA's pressure. Most of these women were from the families of officials from the Ministry of Sports and the Football Federation or players of the women's national football team, and some female journalists and photographers managed to receive special passes and attended the stadium. Conservative and hardline clerics in Iran are staunch opponents of women's presence in stadiums. Among them is Nasser Makarem Shirazi, a source of emulation who has repeatedly expressed his public opposition to this issue, warning President Hassan Rouhani's government not to "distract the public with the issue of women's presence in stadiums and to think about realities." He had previously stated in response to a query about women's presence in stadiums that "the atmosphere in stadiums is not suitable for women's presence. Furthermore, in some types of sports, men do not have appropriate coverage in front of women. Therefore, it is necessary to refrain from attending these events, especially since they can watch these events on media and their presence is not necessary." The issue of Iranian women's presence in stadiums remains unresolved, even though in March of last year, Gianni Infantino, the president of FIFA, announced that the President of Iran had promised him that conditions would be provided for women's attendance in stadiums, while stating that implementing this promise would take time. According to him, FIFA has chosen the path of negotiation with the Islamic Republic's officials and "the President of Iran assured him that he would provide the possibility for women to attend stadiums." However, more than eight months have passed since this promise, and the ban on Iranian women entering stadiums has not been lifted.