Women in Iran now live in two extremes. You can decide that he lives quite comfortably: he is allowed to work in his specialty, drive a car, freely visit public places and play sports. But on the other hand, it seems that being a Persian woman is completely unbearable. The truth is actually somewhere in between.
Islamic dress code
How do women dress in Iran? Traditional Islamic clothing is a hijab that conceals a figure, wrists and neck, or a veil - a light veil covering the entire body of a woman from head to toe. Only the face, hands and feet below the ankles can be left uncovered. All Islamic girls (from nine years old), girls and women are obligated to wear such clothes.
There are strict rules on women's clothing in Iran. But what's interesting: the requirement to wear clothes that hide the shape of the figure is not always explained by religious norms, more often this is due to cultural characteristics. For example, in the Middle East, female seclusion was widespread even before the birth of Islam. So the tradition is supported by local moral and ethical standards.
Modern women in Iran do not always wear clothes that hide the figure from head to toe, although this is desirable. In official institutions, for example, it is customary to appear only in this form. They even write on the door: Islamic dress code required. But the less formal a woman visits, the freer the uniform can be. For example, a waitress in a cafe can wear a head scarf instead of a veil.
Women in Iran (photos of representatives of this country, see in the review) prefer gloomy tones, and ideally, clothes should generally be black. Many young Iranians are much freer about traditional norms. Girls follow formal rules: cover their head and neck, arms above the elbow, legs to the ankles. Wearing a hijab became mandatory in the late seventies (after the Islamic Revolution). Even tourists are not allowed to go bare-headed.
Iranian women are very fond of bright makeup, because the face is almost the only thing that is allowed to be demonstrated. Often, blond hair peeps from under a scarf - in Iran it is very fashionable to dye a blonde. Girls are massively unhappy with their nose. Plastic surgery used to be done at the age of 25, and now - even at 18. The medicine here is very good, so surgeons come even from other countries. But Iranian men believe that not all local women need nose plastic surgery, but the fair sex themselves run to the surgeon as soon as possible, and after the operation they wear a band-aid for a long time to show that now they have gained access to the clan of beautiful people.
Features of marriage
Women's rights in Iran (like the institution of family and marriage) are governed by Sharia. The age of marriage is 13 years for women and 15 years for men. Until 2002, earlier marriages were encouraged: at 9 years old for women, 14 - for men. According to Muslim laws, marriage at such an early age prevents sexual relations outside of marriage, for which severe penalties are provided (up to the penalty).
Spouses must profess one religion. This restriction does not apply only to the so-called temporary marriage. In general, in Iran there are two types of marriage: permanent and temporary. Temporary is usually for a specific period, although it can be unlimited. The form of such a marriage allows a man to take several wives at once (up to four), but on the condition that the spouse should be able to adequately support them all. A woman in Iran can only enter into one temporary marriage in one period. Most often, men formalize lovers as temporary wives, because sexual relations outside of marriage are prohibited. Moreover, all children (from both temporary and permanent spouses) in the event of a divorce remain with their father. There are no women judges in the country, so the law is always on the man’s side.
The position of a woman in Iran on the issue of marriage gives at least a few rights. So, a man has the right to take a new spouse only after the consent of the first. If a woman does not agree, then the spouse can marry again only if she proves that the first wife is not happy with him in anything (household, absence of children, intimate relationships). True, for a long time at the government level there have been ideas to oblige a woman to unconditionally make her husband's decision about other marriages.
In the event of a divorce, the man pays the repayment. The specific amount is negotiated by the newlyweds before the official conclusion of the marriage. True, in the modern world such a scheme has taken root poorly. Self-serving women are specially divorced to get rich. Therefore, the law introduced a restriction. Today, the maximum amount of compensation for a divorce is 40 thousand euros.
Family life and responsibilities
A woman marries only voluntarily. If the union was concluded without her consent, the young Iranian may demand its cancellation. Before marriage, the future spouse receives a pre-wedding gift in accordance with the material and social standards of her family. A gift becomes the property of a woman, and not her family, the key to economic security. When divorced, the gift remains with her.
The main duty of a woman in Iran is to give the state a healthy member of society and educate him correctly. This obliges the husband to provide for his family financially, as well as to give his wife money for expenses so that she can give birth and raise children in comfortable conditions.
Only a man can file for a divorce in Iran, after the children are left only with him. A man may not explain why he wants to divorce. A woman can file for divorce only if there are serious reasons: if this right was stipulated in a marriage contract, in case of abuse, addiction or alcoholism of her husband, if the husband does not give her money or if she left the house for a long time.
Islam supports the possibility that divorced spouses can reunite. For example, after a divorce, a woman needs to wait three months before entering into a new marriage. This is necessary in order to make sure that she is not pregnant, and to think about the correctness of the decision. At this time, the former spouse may try to regain his wife’s disposition. A man can divorce twice, and then reunite with the same woman again. But if a third divorce happened, then first he must wait for her new marriage with another and divorce.
University studies and work
In Iran, women, whose photos can be seen in the article, do not sit at home, they receive education and work. But a good wife must necessarily coordinate with her husband her exits from the house and communication with strangers. According to UNESCO, in higher education, the percentage of women in engineering specialties in Iran is the highest in the world. The explanation is simple. Men must work to provide for their families, and women “have nothing to do, ” so they learn.
True, there are artificial obstacles. Women are not allowed to enter some specialties, while for others there are quotas. And it is also desirable that the girl receive education in her hometown. For men, there are also restrictions. They cannot enter universities for clothing designers or gynecologists.
Women work as sellers, educators, teachers, secretaries, but there are professions that are considered exclusively male. The fair sex can even engage in politics. For example, in the 2009 presidential election, 42 women were among the candidates (a total of 47 people ran). Seventeen people in parliament (6%) are women. Representatives of the fair sex are lawyers, human rights defenders. And about the awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize to Shirin Ebadi in 2003 in Iran there were almost festivities.
Sports and sporting events
Women are not allowed to attend sports matches. This ban is explained by the fact that men swear and shout at such events, and the fair sex can not hear this. But women can still get into the football match. Ghoncheh Hawami spent several months in prison for trying to get into a volleyball match. Officially, she was accused of anti-state propaganda, and not of illegal attending the event.
Women in Iran can go in for sports in normal clothing that is suitable for this occasion. Men are not allowed to participate in competitions and training of the fair sex. But the problem arises when you need to go to international competitions. Religion obliges you to dress modestly, to cover your head, arms and legs, which, of course, does not contribute to the achievement of high results.
Female motorists
In Iran (especially in the capital) you can see many women motorists. But in Saudi Arabia, women are forbidden to drive a car by law. So the Iranian motorists look simply defiant for some. In fact, a loving husband must give his wife a car. Cities are poorly adapted for walking, and in the summer a woman who is forced to hide her figure with a black spacious robe at +35 degrees, has a hard time.
Sexual segregation
In cafes and restaurants, everyone is sitting together, but in buses and the subway there is a separation. Men usually sit in the back, and women in the front. In the case of elevators, there are no such rules. Segregation often causes problems. For example, an unaccompanied woman can only sit in the “female” part of the bus, so you won’t be able to take a ticket (even if there are empty seats) to another part. In the "male" part you can sit if there is an accompanying man. At universities, students of different sexes also study separately.
The role of a man in a woman’s life
How do women live in Iran? If there is no worthy man next to a woman, then she is not living very well. The husband or father (or another male relative) needs to get permission to work and study, coordinate exits from the house and communicate with strangers. The norm of life (unless, of course, a woman wants to stay after a possible divorce without children and means of livelihood) is a prenuptial agreement in Iran.
A man gives his spouse money for personal expenses: clothing, child support, hygiene products, food, and so on. Its presence allows you to ride in the "male" part of public transport or, for example, freely check into a hotel. In everyday life, by the way, one cannot notice a disrespectful or disdainful attitude towards a woman. All the difficulties lie only in the rules imposed from above.
Relation to religion
Today Iran is more comfortable with religion than before. The life of women in Iran is largely subject to Islamic laws, but many young people are skeptical of faith, mosques in settlements are empty, and many locals sympathize with Zoroastrianism. This is a set of traditional views for the Persians, which involves honesty and the inability to take what belongs to another person.
Women's rights in Iran before the revolution
It seems to those who have visited Iran that women in this Muslim country have come to terms with this state of things, and some even assure themselves that they are lucky, i.e. in Saudi Arabia, things are much worse. In Iran, women are beautiful and graceful. It is difficult to understand how they manage to maintain their charm in such conditions. But it was not always so. More than two thousand years ago, matriarchy reigned supreme in Iran, and in recent history, everything changed dramatically after the Islamic Revolution.
How did women live in Iran before the revolution? One of the seventies' poster posters depicts two Iranians dressed in the then fashion. The girls have short dresses with a neckline and open shoulders. From the point of view of Sharia, this is completely unacceptable. Under Shah Pahlavi, the locals behaved and looked in accordance with the Western way of life. Before the revolution in Iran, miniskirts, flared trousers and rock and roll were in fashion.
Before the Islamic Revolution, Iranian women were free to communicate with men; there was no sexual segregation in everyday life and strict rules of behavior. The capital of Iran until the end of the seventies was one of the most advanced in the world. In a multinational country, art, literature, the film and television industry developed. Men and women could receive education on an equal footing, and the Iranians went on vacation to ski resorts near Mount Elbrus.
Particularly striking photo of Iranian women of that time. The difference is really impressive. Before the Islamic Revolution, Iranian women looked the same as in the USSR, Europe or the USA. The fair sex dressed in accordance with fashion, led an active lifestyle and could not depend on anyone. Now on the streets you can see only women completely wrapped in dark clothes.
How do Russian women live in this country
Russian women who, by the will of fate, ended up in Iran, settled in different ways far from their homeland. Many of them converted to Islam and raise children from local men. Others limited themselves to temporary marriage, to work quietly or study at the university, to be both with her husband and free at the same time. But a man must provide for his family, so Russian women in Iran rarely work outside the home. And those who still decided to get a job should have time to keep an eye on the household and raise children.
Many compatriots talk about double life. Under the spacious canopies, young girls hide fashionable t-shirts with prints and tight-fitting trousers, which they remember to show off in front of their friends. Young people, having rented a house on the outskirts, have parties with dancing and drinking, fashionable clothes, and most importantly, away from the strict supervision of the elders. In appearance, life in Iran is strict and puritanical, and from the inside - free and relaxed, even a dry law will not be a hindrance for young people.
Many Iranians are only for regime change, but they are afraid to talk about it aloud. True, there are those who are completely satisfied with everything. The fact is that society now lives, in general, quite comfortably and violates many prohibitions (regarding relations before marriage and alcohol, for example). Iranians do not show high loyalty to the current system, but they want to move towards capitalist values and reduce the influence of religion on society.
