Last updated:

November 6, 2024

Legal challenges of expanding women’s sports in Iran / Mohammad Mahbobi

This is a caption

This is a captionMohammad-Mohebbi
Mohammad Mohabbey

The process of urban development and changes in daily movement patterns has led to a decrease in physical activity, especially among women, putting their bodies and muscles at risk of serious consequences such as inactivity and physical weakness. To prevent or combat such issues, creating attractions and facilities to promote sports among women is an effective tool. However, is anyone considering the development of sports among women in Iran?

In examining the growth of women’s sports in domestic and international arenas, although there is evidence of progress in Iranian women’s sports, it cannot be ignored that compared to men’s sports, it is not experiencing desirable growth. Social factors have a significant impact on the abilities of Iranian women in sports. As a result, a lack of movement has been created in them, leading to a decline in their performance due to a decrease in physical strength. It is obvious that the ban on women participating in mixed sports should be accompanied by creating the necessary space and planning for the separation and segregation of genders in sports facilities. This is while the number of such sports facilities for women is very limited compared to the population. This issue requires more effort from the relevant authorities than ever before.

Women like Atousa Pourkashian, Fatemeh Karimi, Neda Shahsavari, and Kimia Rezaei are among the athletes who have repeatedly stated in media interviews that they exercise at home. In fact, if the families of these athletes did not make the necessary investments, it would not have been clear that Iranian society could have such successful athletes.

Currently, it is difficult to predict the future of women’s sports in Iran. The development and advancement of this field, like any other major issue, is naturally dependent on political will and social changes.

Improving the current state of women’s sports in Iran requires a change in the mindset of government officials towards women’s sports. This is a topic that, despite being witnessed by many female sports champions and pioneers, is not currently a priority for the Ministry of Sports.

The role of sports in women’s health

Health experts always recommend that in order to have a healthier and more active society, we should strive to add sports to the list of activities for people of all ages and physical abilities, both men and women. Enduring sports and physical activities in women can prevent many diseases such as osteoporosis, heart attacks, and strokes – which account for more than one third of women’s deaths – from occurring.

Physical activity along with a healthy and balanced diet can also prevent obesity in women. Women are more prone to heart disease, osteoporosis, and other health issues during menopause, but engaging in regular exercise such as walking and various physical activities can significantly reduce these risks. Additionally, exercise and physical activity can also reduce stress and depression in women, a problem that many are currently struggling with. It can even be said that according to Islamic teachings, a sound mind resides in a healthy body, and those who have a healthy body are more successful in performing religious duties such as prayer, fasting, and pilgrimage. It should not be overlooked that due to certain limitations, the presence of women in sports facilities is less noticeable. Therefore, paying attention to and promoting a culture of women’s sports can greatly contribute to maintaining and improving the overall health of society and its future generations.

The government officials of Iran should also be aware of the importance of this matter and it is necessary for them to not only create suitable conditions and develop women’s sports facilities, but also make more efforts and take steps towards supporting and providing the necessary platform for women to achieve their rights and share in sports.

Challenges

a) No sponsor

Despite all its potential, women’s sports is a world full of small and big problems, with one of the most important being the lack of financial support. Every team needs a financial sponsor to carry out sports activities, but since women’s sports are not reflected in any media and due to cultural restrictions and lack of advertising, there are not many spectators. As a result, there are almost no sponsors willing to financially support women’s sports teams, and therefore, in many sports, there are no cohesive teams. The reluctance of the Islamic Republic of Iran’s television to broadcast these competitions, due to religious issues and the emphasis on traditional Islamic teachings of not showcasing women in front of men, is also one of the problems. Sports without media, advertising, and sponsors will lead to weakness.

According to the resolution of the Supreme Council of the Cultural Revolution on October 6, 1993, women’s exercises and competitions must take place in designated areas and men are not allowed to enter these areas or watch these exercises and competitions. Therefore, broadcasting these competitions is illegal.

As mentioned, not broadcasting women’s competitions on television has led to a decrease in sponsor interest in women’s sports, causing significant economic problems for clubs. This has resulted in a memorandum being signed between the Physical Education Organization and all sports federations, requiring them to allocate at least 40% of their funds and revenues to women’s sports. However, many institutions and federations do not comply with this decision.

B) Defective Legal Structure of the Ministry of Sports

According to the vice president of the Softball Association, before the transformation of the Sports Organization into a ministry, the organization was responsible for women’s sports. However, when the organization became a ministry, due to organizational charts and limitations, they merged the departments of general sports development and women’s sports. This can be considered one of the main reasons for the failure of women’s sports in the planning and program section, as there is no focus and this lack of focus also affects the programs and decisions.

There is a flaw in the legal process, and that is that according to their statutes, federations are obligated to entrust women’s sports affairs to the women’s deputy in the same federation. However, in most federations, the scope of authority of this deputy is limited. There have also been constant controversies and ambiguities regarding the appointment or dismissal of these deputies.

J) Defective Constitutions of Sports Federations

It is necessary to focus on structural and legal discussions, regulations, and constitutions of sports federations and other institutions and organizations related to sports. One of the important tasks in this regard is to amend the constitutions of sports federations to address the improvement of women’s sports. These constitutions are mostly outdated and were written at a time when women’s sports did not have the same level of popularity as today. Therefore, it leaves the hands of those who oppose the expansion of women’s sports open. The structure and authority of women’s sports do not align well with their large audience in today’s Iranian society.

d) Coverage of Iranian female athletes and international competitions

The issue of “hijab” is one of the most controversial issues in the field of women in Iran today. It has completely taken on an ideological color and is considered the biggest symbol and sign of the Islamic Republic. Despite the various social problems and ugly behaviors that are destructive and damaging, such as lying, betrayal of trust, breaking promises, hypocrisy, usury, theft, embezzlement, obscenity, etc., which are rampant in society, and are strongly condemned in Islam, there are numerous verses in the Quran and hadiths about them, but the political system, which shows one-tenth of the sensitivity it shows towards hijab, does not address these issues.

In the same way, another issue that is one of the problems of professional sports for women in Iran is the discussion of the approved dress code by the ruling government in Iran, which has caused many restrictions. However, it has been seen that some female athletes from other Islamic countries also have a minimum dress code. But except in rare cases, it seems that these dress codes are the personal choice of the athletes. But in the case of Iran, this issue is completely mandatory and athletes do not have the right to deviate from it in international competitions, and even a non-Muslim Iranian athlete does not have the option to not observe the hijab.

Solutions/Strategies

Temporary and short-term solutions

Allocating budget and other supportive policies by legal institutions play a key role in promoting women’s sports. For this reason, the role of law and lawmakers, and consequently promoters in this field, is very important. National and local supportive policies are considered as appropriate tools for promotion in any field, including sports.

For example, in 2000, the Hungarian Parliament passed a law entitled “Sports Law” to ensure equal opportunities for men and women, girls and boys in sports in the country. According to this law, all sports organizations, foundations, federations, and committees related to sports and physical education must increase women’s participation in sports by 35% in the next four years.

Sports promoters for women can take action by negotiating and consulting with relevant officials such as city officials, members of the city council, representatives of the electoral district of the target community, officials of the Ministry of Sports and Youth, Ministry of Labor, Cooperatives and Social Welfare, the Deputy for Women’s Affairs of the Presidency, or any other relevant organization to allocate a budget for women’s sports and prioritize the allocation of a special budget for the construction of sports facilities for women. Through these activities, promoters can make a successful promotion and advocacy project in the field of women’s sports by influencing decision-makers and policymakers.

B) Long-term strategies

With the growth and development of sports worldwide and the emergence of various changes, the need for formulating sports laws, especially in the field of women’s sports in Iran, is strongly felt. Considering the wide range of diversity in sports disciplines and the considerable population in this field, Iran needs a comprehensive and complete law in this area.

Furthermore, all legal issues that exist in the world of sports are related to the field of sports law. Sports law deals with resolving problems and issues that arise in sports. Therefore, establishing a specialization in “sports law” at the doctoral level in one of the Iranian universities seems necessary.

We know that the sources of legal science include constitutional laws, ordinary laws, legal doctrines, and in our country, reliable sources of jurisprudence. Where a judge encounters a shortage in ordinary laws to solve a legal problem, he is obliged to refer to jurisprudential sources. The third principle of this law states the provision of free physical education. We do not see the word “sport” in the constitution and it is still unclear whether legal scholars believe that physical education is the same as sports or not, and the source of solving this problem is also the Guardian Council.

The collection of laws that exist in Iran regarding sports and physical education is related to the law of establishing the Physical Education Organization, which dates back to 44 years ago. This organization became a subsidiary of the presidency after the revolution, and after that we have the law of establishing the Ministry of Sports and Youth, which has been defined in a single article and its duties have been specified. This law also focuses on the privatization of sports and physical education, but it seems to be outdated and members of the parliament should update it according to the needs of the time.

In conclusion, it must be said that there is a fundamental need for a review of the rulings on women’s clothing, especially for those women who represent Iran in international competitions. Scholars are well aware that what is mentioned in the Quran about women’s clothing is not “hijab”. Hijab was only mentioned once and only for the wives of the Prophet, and it was recommended during the time of revelation to speak to the Prophet’s wives from behind a curtain. However, for other women, the word “satar” (covering) is used and it mostly refers to the adornment of women, not their entire body! Furthermore, the context of the verse emphasizes the custom of clothing. Another point is that the recommendation in the verse is mainly for the “jilbab” (outer garment) which is a means of covering the head.

The philosophy of covering oneself is primarily to prevent corruption, but everyone knows that the realm of sports, especially professional sports, is the most important means and barrier for preventing corruption and promoting the health of society. Professional and continuous sports can save women from the dangers of illness, corruption, isolation, passivity, and stagnation, and guarantee the health of half of the population of today’s society and the future mother of society. The jurisprudence of Imam Baqir is a comprehensive jurisprudence, not a one-dimensional one, and the rule of “al-aham fi al-aham” is the solution in this regard. Surely, if through sports, Muslim women are protected from corruption, unemployment, and the like, what harm is there in showing tolerance towards their clothing, even if it is only during a few hours of sports competition? What is the purpose of a woman’s clothing other than keeping her healthy?!

Explanation:

Parts of this article have been taken from the report of the Women’s Council of the National Olympic Committee.

Mohammad Mohebi
November 26, 2016

Mohammad Mohabbey Women athletes Women's sports Women's sports in Iran پیمان صلح ماهنامه خط صلح ماهنامه خط صلح