Research from Open Data Iran indicates that the share of women in the total population of athletes in the country is about 36%, as "Iranian women face many restrictions for sports activities, especially in open and public spaces due to mandatory hijab." The recent report states that despite the restrictions imposed by the Islamic Republic over the past four decades on Iranian women and girls, the number of female athletes in 13 sports, including volleyball, handball, equestrian, swimming, taekwondo, and athletics, exceeds that of men. According to the report, "Statistics from the Ministry of Sports and Youth in 1400 (translated from the Statistical Yearbook of the Statistical Center of Iran) show that about 2 million and 560 thousand athletes in Iran are covered by 51 sports federations, among which 1 million and 592 thousand are male athletes and 923 thousand are female athletes. The chart from Open Data Iran shows the most popular sports in terms of the number of organized athletes. The report mentions that the Statistical Yearbook of the Statistical Center of Iran indicates that the sports of polo, hockey, and fencing have the least number of organized athletes, with 272, 901, and 1248 athletes, respectively. Based on this data, the share of women in the total population of athletes is about 36%. Open Data Iran attributes this ratio to the mandatory hijab, as "Iranian women face many restrictions for sports activities, especially in open and public spaces due to mandatory hijab." However, investigations by Open Data Iran show that "in recent years, women have succeeded in gaining a greater share than men in some popular sports such as volleyball, handball, taekwondo, gymnastics, swimming, athletics, badminton, equestrian, and general sports in terms of the number of athletes." The report states that "due to mandatory restrictions, women's participation in popular sports like football and wrestling is severely limited; sports that could pave the way for international successes for Iranian sports." Statistics show that the ratio of female footballers to the total population of footballers is less than 4%, and the ratio of female wrestlers to the total population of wrestlers is only 0.6%. *According to the official definition, an organized athlete is one who is covered by the medical services of federations and whose name is registered in the sports medicine federation.
Open Data Iran: Only 36% of Iranian Athletes Are Women
A report from Open Data Iran reveals that only 36% of athletes in Iran are women, largely due to restrictions imposed by mandatory hijab laws. Despite these challenges, women have outnumbered men in several sports, but their participation in football and wrestling remains extremely low. This highlights ongoing gender disparities in sports within Iran.
👥 Key Players
📰 What Happened
A report from Open Data Iran reveals that only 36% of athletes in Iran are women, largely due to restrictions imposed by mandatory hijab laws. Despite these challenges, women have outnumbered men in several sports, but their participation in football and wrestling remains extremely low.
- Approximately 2.56 million athletes are registered in Iran, with 923,000 being female.
- Women have outnumbered men in sports like volleyball and taekwondo, but face severe limitations in football and wrestling.
💡 Why It Matters
📚 Background
Iran has a complex history regarding women's rights, particularly since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, which imposed strict dress codes and limitations on women's public activities.
Translated from the original and edited for English readers. View original source →
Translation confidence: 85%