The Issue of Women's Presence in Stadiums Reaches the Supreme Cultural Revolution Council

The head of the Women's and Family Social Cultural Council of the Supreme Cultural Revolution Council says that the issue of women's presence in stadiums is currently under review in this council. According to ISNA, Zahra Ayatollahi stated: "In a meeting held last week, individuals with differing viewpoints attended. At the end of this meeting, after identifying the complexities involved, we concluded that decision-making on this matter is not as simple as it seems." She pointed out that the issue of women's presence in stadiums has various dimensions, and the Women's and Family Social Cultural Council will issue a definitive resolution on this matter. The topic of women's entry into stadiums has been a longstanding problem for Iranian sports and governments. A group of women was able to attend a World Cup qualifying match against Bahrain in 2006, where then-President Mohammad Khatami was also present. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, in 2006, wrote a letter to the Physical Education Organization requesting the facilitation of women's presence in stadiums. Following that, several clerics from Qom, including Fadl Lankarani, Mirza Javad Tabrizi, Makarem Shirazi, and Mesbah Yazdi opposed women's presence in stadiums. This situation led several Asian and global federations to warn Iran that if women were excluded from stadiums, Iran would face sanctions. Consequently, in some international competitions, a limited number of women were allowed entry to stadiums in a selective and controlled manner. Despite the prohibition on women's entry to stadiums, some girls have managed to watch their favorite games by disguising themselves as men. Various campaigns have also been launched in recent years for women's presence in stadiums and to eliminate gender discrimination in Iranian sports. In August 2017, the popular program 90 conducted a survey in which more than 1.6 million people participated. Among five demands for Iranian sports, "women's entry into stadiums" was the most requested by 33% of respondents. Eshaq Jahangiri, the first vice president under Hassan Rouhani, acknowledged that "women's presence in stadiums is a demand" and stated that "some have prevented women's entry to stadiums." On the other hand, during a meeting of several members of the Iranian sports community with Hassan Rouhani, these athletes spoke of Rouhani's agreement with women's presence in stadiums; however, the previous barriers still remain in this government, and only in some international competitions, such as women's volleyball, have women been allowed limited access to stadiums. Shahindokht Molaverdi, the deputy for women and family affairs during Rouhani's first term, was one of the advocates for women's presence in stadiums, facing fierce attacks from conservative women and publications such as Yalsar. Opposition to women's presence sometimes arises from religious prohibitions and sometimes from conservatives under the pretext of a lack of suitable infrastructure. Zahra Ayatollahi, the head of the Women's and Family Social Cultural Council of the Supreme Cultural Revolution Council, stated on Saturday, October 20, that "if we want to witness women's presence in stadiums, we must have the necessary infrastructure, such as suitable halls and safe transportation means to facilitate women's movement. For example, if spectators rush during a match and damage transportation means, we must ensure that women are not harmed." Critics, however, perceive the lack of infrastructure for women's presence in stadiums as a form of excuse-making.