Women's Rights In Iran

Women in the Middle East, especially Iran, have struggled to gain access to human rights and are often oppressed by their government. However, this has not always been the case. Pre 1979 Iran was very westernized, and state and religion were separated. But from 1979 to the current day, Iran has been run by using an Islamic republic which means the government is ruled using Sharia, the Islamic law code. This has created tension between citizens along with governing forces, for some believe the law needs to be modernized to fit today's ideas and standards. The current issue of women fighting for their rights has gone on for years and through various protest tactics, the support of other countries, and through strong female leaders women hope

The government itself was run through a monarchy, the Shah. King Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, the shah at the time, made many attempts to westernize the country. New reforms were made during his reign and even before he came into power, such as industrializing, expansion of women's rights, and the banning of the veil. Women and men were seen as equal and no gender had dominant power over the other. Western dress also became popular amongst the Iranian people. Outfits such as short dresses, skirts, and other clothing items of the sort were encouraged. This allowed women to show more skin compared to before, when women were forced to cover their skin (source 1). With their increased involvement in the oil industry, Iran got major money benefits however the Shah did not use much of the money to help the people of Iran. Money sometimes went to things like social service projects, new architecture, and foreign interaction but often times it was often re-invested on their oil. While these westernizing steps were seen as important to revolutionize the country for the better, some people disagreed with the changes taking place (source

One of the main reasons goes back to the islamic revolution where Ayatollah Khomeini saw the hijab as a resistance to the Shah, and people believed wearing a hijab would be rebelling against the Shah. With Khomeini in power now, he sees not wearing a hijab a rebellion against his reign and a sign of distrust (source 11). The hijab is not only used for political reasons but veiling is a common practice amongst muslims. It is believed that wearing a hijab is a sign of modesty and respect to Allah. Showing too much skin can be seen as sinful and provocative. The Quran in surah 24 verse 31 says “Do not show or display beauties of your form that may excite a man’s lust”, saying a man should not be distracted by a woman therefore it is the woman's job to prevent such things. Other women wear the hijab to express their commitment to their faith and to be easily identifiable (source 11). While some women think the hijab is completely fine to wear all the time, some women are beginning to oppose the