Iran’s gender equality continues to be on the downside, for religious reasons, in the process further deteriorating prospects for real democracy in the middle-eastern country. Women in Iran continue to be treated, one would say, as sub-human, all in the name of Islam. In effect, in this day and age, the Iran women stadium ban is nothing short of very unfortunate. The latest news on this front comes from Human Right Watch (HWR) that reported the detention of women who allegedly dressed as men as a disguise to attend a football match, calling for their release.

The Iranian government should release women detained because they are alleged to have dressed as men to circumvent a ban on women attending football matches, Human Rights Watch said today. Among the women reportedly detained on August 13, 2019 are Zahra Khoshnavaz, a prominent advocate for ending the ban on women and girls attending public sporting events, and Forough Alaei, a leading photojournalist.

Iran bans female spectators from football and other stadiums. The ban is not written into law or regulation, but is enforced by the country’s authorities. The ban is a clear violation of the rules in FIFA’s constitution, the Statutes, and its Human Rights Policy. Article 4 of the Statutes says discrimination against women “is strictly prohibited and punishable by suspension or expulsion.” In June, the FIFA president, Gianni Infantino warned the Iranian Federation that it must take concrete steps to allow women in stadiums or else face sanctions.

“Iranian women should not be spending a second in prison because authorities accuse them of peacefully attempting to defy a ridiculous ban that denies women and girls equal rights to attend a football match,” said Minky Worden, Director of Global Initiatives at Human Rights Watch. “Iran should immediately and unconditionally release the women and lift the discriminatory ban on women attending sports matches.”

See full story here that speaks to the problems around gender equality in Iran