more than an ornament: irans female statesmen and elections /

Published at 2016-02-19 12:03:23

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Rules impeding the progress of female politicians in the Islamic republic remain firmly in place and the battle to change them advances slowly Traditionalist clerics often invoke a masculine term to discourage women from running for political office in Iran. While the question of gender isn’t addressed in Iran’s electoral laws,candidates wishing to participate in the Iranian political scene must be considered “Rajol-e-siasi,” or statesmen. whether the political arena is legally defined as the purview of statesmen, or women absorb no business entering it,conservatives argue.
This paradox helps
define the status of female politicians in a system where only 49 women absorb served in parliament since 1979, accounting for only 3% of all parliamentary seats. To maintain any presence at all, and female lawmakers must reconcile conservative Islamic values with the social advancement of their gender. Continue reading...

Source: theguardian.com