Big score for Iranian women as doors open to men's soccer games
For the first time since 1979, Iranian women are allowed to watch men's soccer matches in Tehran despite stubborn and stiff opposition from hard-liners.
After nearly four decades, a group of Iranian women officially entered the iconic Azadi Stadium in the capital Tehran to watch a soccer friendly between Iran and Bolivia. The decision was made after a security body affiliated with the Interior Ministry approved a request from the country's soccer federation. But only 150 women were granted the historic chance to attend the game, sparking widespread debate among Iranians.
In the past few years, many young Iranian women have defied the ban on watching men's soccer by disguising themselves in male clothing. In some cases, such risky moves have led to arrests.
On Oct. 16, however, a small group of 150 women, mostly from the female sports community, were allowed to enter Azadi stadium where they were given special entryways and bathrooms. Hours ahead of the match, selfies of excited female fans found their way onto social media networks. One photo after the match showed empty stadium seats that were cleaned up by the female spectators.
Printing a full photo of the female fans on its front page, the pro-Reform newspaper Etemad hailed the development as "a step forward." Iran, the official daily of the moderate administration of President Hassan Rouhani, also welcomed the news, which "Iranian women had for long been looking forward to." While lambasting the fact that other women were not granted entry, the paper argued that what happened at the stadium "ended the spell" and created hopes that one day all women will have the chance to watch men's soccer matches in Iran. "What drew attention more than Iran's win against Bolivia was women's presence in the stadium," wrote another moderate daily, Arman. But Aftab, despite being a Reform-leaning paper, spoke critically of why only "privileged women" were allowed in.
