Women’s Education in Iran and Its Effects on Women’s Roles in Iranian Society

Women’s Education in Iran and its Effects on Women’s Roles in Iranian Society

        Gender inequality is an issue that cultures and countries around the world have dealt with for all of recorded history, and it is still prevalent today. Women have been fighting for years to be treated with the same level of respect as men all over the globe. One of the many areas in the world that still treats females as inferiors is the Middle East. Many Middle Eastern countries give males countless advantages over women in nearly every aspect of life on the basis of their interpretation of the Muslim faith, Islamic governments, and long standing cultural beliefs. One of the most noticeable advantages men have is in access to education. Education allows people to reach their full potential and do things that would not have been possible for them to do otherwise. The knowledge and skills that a good education provides is priceless, and should not be denied to anyone. A quality education is necessary in order to get a good job, which in turn allows a person to provide for themselves and those who depend on them. Yet in many parts of the world certain groups of people, specifically females, are refused an education or given an inferior one to their peers because of reasons they cannot control. Many females in the Middle East who wish to gain an education face great obstacles not only in pursuing an education, but also in being given equal opportunities to use their educations. These obstacles need to be removed if said countries want to make societal progress and keep up with the beliefs of the modern world.

        Circumstances have been gradually improving for females in some Middle Eastern countries in terms of education in the past few decades, but much more still needs to be done in order for the genders to be on an equal playing field. One Middle Eastern country that has been making progress in the advancement of female education is Iran. Women’s education in Iran has been gradually moving forward over the past century, especially in the last few decades. Government policies, societal attitudes, and the religion of Islam have all played a part in this journey.

        Difficulties for women are not a recent development in Iran, or even in the Middle East as a whole. Before the rise of Islam in the seventh century C.E., Christianity and Judaism were the dominant religions in the area. During this time females were treated more like property rather than people. Women were considered to be liabilities and expected to submit to their male relatives. Marriage was considered their only use in society and they had had virtually no say in what they wanted to do in their lives. Everything they did was dictated by men. While it is important to recognize that the rise of these religions resulted in rules protecting women, such as “married men were forbidden from keeping concubines, adultery and rape were considered serious offenses, and divorce was made more difficult” (Crocco, 109), these rules and guidelines were directed at keeping the behaviors of married men under control, rather than granting rights to women in order to allow them to be more independent. Women did not start to gain independence until a new religion was introduced into the area.