Abstract:
With the overthrow of the Shah and the rise to power of Ayatollah Khomeini in 1979, Iran changed from a monarchy to an Islamic regime based on an Islamic Constitution and Islamic laws. As a result, a western stereotype of Iranian women as veiled and helpless creatures got created. This stereotypical view has dominated public opinion since 1979 in both Western societies in general, and among western scholars in particular. Meanwhile, a remarkable development related to Iranian women has been taking place in the years after the revolution, i.e. a growth in labor force, political participation and increasing access to education. In this context it can therefore be argued that paradoxically the Islamic revival in Iran has been having a positive influence on the development of the status and the position of women in the public sphere in contemporary Iran. This paper aims to highlight the current position of women in Iran and how far they have been able to utilize the rights and privileges granted to them by the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
Machine summary:
"Although the Islamized Iranian society stresses on motherhood the most and emphasizes its importance in maintaining and protecting stability in the family, according to the needs of a revolutionary and modernizing society women are also encouraged to participate in socio-economic and political developments.
[6] Based on the Principle 3 of the Constitution, the government of the Islamic Republic of Iran is bound to provide all necessary opportunities regarding education that are clearly mentioned in Principles 2, 3 and 9 of the constitution: Principle 2: To raise public awareness in all areas through the correct use of mass media and the press.
After the Iranian Revolution, as a result of strict Shar’iah laws and government policies that stressed women’s position in the private sphere, one would expect a sharp decline of the presence of women in the job market.
[16] Conclusion Over the years, policies implemented by the government of the Islamic Republic have paradoxically led to women´s empowerment as a result of a sharp increase in urbanization, increase of women’s average age of marriage, a significant decline in the total fertility rate, a decrease in the gap between urban and rural areas, and women´s increasing access to education.
Report on women, employment and economic participation in the Islamic Republic of Iran, Markaz -e Amor- e Zanaan wa Khaanwaade Riyaasate Jamhoori (Center for Women and Family affairs of the Presidency), report no 4."