THE EMPOWERMENT OF IRANIAN WOMEN: AN IMPERATIVE ISSUE OF THE SOCIO-POLITICAL DEVELOPMENT OF THE NATION
Keywords:
Empowerment, Qajar Period, twentieth century, modernity, women issues, women rights, equality, inequality, vote, veil, education, reform, movement, society.Abstract
“No nation can ever be worthy of its existence that cannot take its women along with the men. No struggle can ever succeed without women participating side by side with men. There are two powers in the world; one is the sword and the other is the pen. There is a great competition and rivalry between the two. There is a third power stronger than both, that of the women.”
Women Empowerment with respect to educational, political, economic and religious choice is the basic parameter of judging the standard of a civilised society. The growth and development of a nation and its society mainly rely upon the growth and development of its individuals in general and the women in particular. Directly or indirectly women should enjoy the equal position along with men in all around development of a nation. No doubt men and women are equal in every aspect; moreover women play a vital role in the over-all growth and wellbeing of a family, community, society and humanity at large. Women are given an honoured position in every religion. Swami Vivekananda says:
“The great Aryans, Buddha among the rest, have always put woman in an equal position with man. For them sex in religion did not exist. In the Vedas and Upanishads, women taught the highest truths and received the same veneration as men.”
In Islam much emphasis is given on the legitimate right of woman in every aspect of social life. “Islam not only endorses the freedom of women but has also been the founder of women’s liberty in all dimensions of her being.”1 Further “ Islam has emphasized the equality of man and woman and has given them the right to determine their destinies by themselves. In other words, both are eligible to enjoy all freedom and liberties.”2
Thus, for making a well egalitarian society based on gender equality, women empowerment should be applicable.
The present study “the empowerment of Iranian women: An imperative issue of the socio-political development of the nation” is highlighted the condition of women in Iran time to time, mostly giving importance to their changing status from a male-dominant to the impartial society. It also reflects the necessity of the empowerment of women in Iran where the very Socio-political and religious obstacles were the main cause for this very social disregard in a male dominated society.
References
H. E. Isa Rezazadeh. (2001). Indo-Iran Relations: Wisdom’s view point-Religious, Spiritual and Illuminative. Edited by: Prof. S.M.Waseem, ISBN- 978-964-439-318-1, p. 9.
Ibid. p. 9.
Sedghi, Hamideh. (2007). Women and Politics in Iran: Veiling, Unveiling and Reveiling. Cambridge University Press, ISBN-13 978-0-511-29503-4, 13 978-0-521-83581-7, p. 25.
Williams Jackson, A.V. (1896)."The Moral and Ethical Teachings of the Ancient Zoroastrian Religion". International Journal of Ethics 7 (1): 5562. Doi: 10.1086/2054
p. 59.
Sedghi, Hamideh. Op.cit, p. 25.
Mahdi, Ali Akbar. (2004). The Iranian Women’s Movement: A Century Long Struggle. The Muslim World, Volume-94, p 428
Ibid. p. 428.
Sedghi, Hamideh. Op.cit, p. 61.
Mahdi, Ali Akbar. Op.cit, pp. 432-433.
Graves, Alison E. (1996). Women in Iran: Obstacles to Human Rights and Possible Solutions. American University Journal of Gender, Social Policy & the Law. 5, no.1. p. 57
Sanasarian, Eliz. (1982). The Women's Rights Movements in Iran. New York: Praeger. ISBN 0-03-059632-7. pp. 124–129.
Mahdi, Ali Akbar. Op.cit, p. 427.
Sedghi, Hamideh. Op.cit, p. 245.
Ibid, p. 25.
Graves, Op.cit, p. 57-58.
Tahirih mentioned on PBS NewsHour - Mention of Táhirih as founder of Persian feminism by renowned scholar Azar Nafizi in a discussion on PBS about Shirin Ebadi, winner of the Nobel Peace Prize in 2003
Selected Bibliography
• Ahmad, Wasif. (2015). Depiction of Social Status of Twentieth Century Iranian Women in Persian Short Stories. Contemporary Research in India, ISSN 2231-2137, Vol. 5, Issue: 3
• Atabaki, Touraj. (2009).Iran In the 20th Century Historiography and Political Culture. I.B. Tauris, London, ISBN: 978 1 84511 962 1.
• Gayen, Moumita. (2015). Annette Susannah Akroyd Beveridge: An Authoritative Translator of Medieval Indian Texts And Women’s Educational Reformer in Bengal. Sufism and Indian spiritual Traditions, New Delhi Publishers, ISBN: 978-81-85503-06-6.
• Graves, Alison E. (1996). “Women in Iran: Obstacles to Human Rights and Possible Solutions.” American University Journal of Gender, Social Policy & the Law. 5, no.1.
• H.E. Isa Rezazadeh. (2001). Indo-Iran Relations: Wisdom’s view point-Religious, Spiritual and Illuminative. Edited by: Prof. S.M.Waseem, ISBN- 978-964-439-318-1.
• Karimi, Behzad. (2014). Women’s Political Participation in the Contemporary Iran: A Study of Western Iran, Impact Journals, Vol. 2, Issue 7, 67-76, ISSN(E): 2321-8851; ISSN(P): 2347-4580.
• Mir-Hosseini, Ziba. (2002). The Conservative–Reformist Conflict Over Women’s Rights in Iran. International Journal of Politics, Culture and Society, 16(1), 37-53.
• Pournik, Milad. (2013). Civil Society Organizations and Empowerment of Women and Girls in Iran, IGIS WP 06/GGP WP 04
• S., Jawad and F. Ozbiligin, Mustafa.(2010). Managing Cultural Diversity in Asia: A Research Companion. E.E. Publishing. Inc, USA, ISBN: 978 1 84980 094 5.P
• Sanasarian, Eliz (1982). The Women's Rights Movements in Iran. New York, Praeger, ISBN 0-03-059632-7.
• Sedghi, Hamideh. (2007). Women and Politics in Iran: Veiling, Unveiling, and Reveiling. Cambridge University Press, ISBN-13 978-0-511-29503-4, 13 978-0-521-83581-7.
• Williams Jackson,A.V.(1896)."The Moral and Ethical Teachings of the Ancient Zoroastrian Religion". International Journal of Ethics 7 (1): 5562. Doi: 10.1086/2054
Published
Issue
Section
License
Submission Preparation ChecklistSubmission Preparation Checklist
Before proceeding with your submission, please ensure that you have completed the following checklist. All items on the list must have a checkmark before you can submit your manuscript:
