Members of Parliament Warn Rouhani's Deputy Over Criticism of Women's Stadium Ban

Members of the Women's Fraction of the Iranian Parliament issued a warning to Hassan Rouhani's Deputy after her criticism regarding the prohibition of women's attendance during the Iran vs. USA volleyball match. Previously, Shahindokht Molaverdi had described the opposition to women's presence in sports arenas as 'abhorrent, disgusting' and a 'clear example of several criminal offenses.' Following these remarks, Laleh Eftekhari, spokesperson for the Women's Fraction of the Islamic Consultative Assembly, stated on Sunday, June 31, in an interview with Fars News Agency: 'The Vice President for Women and Family Affairs published a note after our national volleyball team's victory against the USA, expressing views on women's presence in stadiums that were presented in an unprofessional and somewhat irresponsible manner, prompting members of the Women's Fraction to issue a warning to the President regarding these statements.' Eftekhari further added: 'In this note, viewpoints were expressed that insulted authorities and officials, and the issue is that this text refers to social, cultural, and economic problems faced by women, articulated by someone who should be seeking solutions rather than presenting problems.' The spokesperson criticized Molaverdi's actions, stating: 'Instead of listing problems that provide an excuse for enemies and insult a segment of women in society, the Vice President should have presented a report on what actions have been taken in the past two years to alleviate women's issues.' On Saturday, June 30, Molaverdi wrote on her personal Facebook page that 'in recent weeks, we have endured the most severe attacks from those who, two years ago, invalidated their methods and approaches, those who had hidden in their cave for eight years.' She also referred to threats to prevent women's attendance at the Iran vs. USA volleyball match on Friday, June 29, stating that 'this scenario had been initiated months ago, at the time when they tried to falsely place this issue at the forefront of women's demands in my name.' The continued ban on women's attendance at volleyball matches comes despite the fact that last year, due to this prohibition, the International Volleyball Federation withdrew hosting rights for several global competitions from Iran.