Iran
Female fans of the Esteghlal football club cheer during a match between Esteghlal and Mes-e Kerman at Azadi Stadium in Tehran on August 25, 2022. Photo: AFP
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Iran will allow women to enter football stadiums to attend matches, the head of the national football federation announced on Friday, citing a decision from the country’s National Security Council that will end the practice of banning women from matches.
“We will have the entry of women. The National Security Council has approved this issue and a working group has been appointed for it, which is responsible for deciding how to implement it,” said Mehdi Taj, president of the Football Federation Islamic Republic of Iran, IRNA reported.
The football federation, along with the ministries of the interior and sports and youth, and two intelligence agencies are now preparing a plan to implement the decision, Taj added.
“Whether or not they will come is no longer an issue. Women will be present in stadiums,” he said.
Since the founding of the Islamic Republic more than 40 years ago, women have been banned from entering sports stadiums, a practice labelled “discriminatory and cruel” by Human Rights Watch.
In recent years, Iran has allowed a limited number of women to attend select matches after FIFA demanded Tehran change its policy. Prohibiting women from attending games is against international football regulations.
“We will have the entry of women. The National Security Council has approved this issue and a working group has been appointed for it, which is responsible for deciding how to implement it,” said Mehdi Taj, president of the Football Federation Islamic Republic of Iran, IRNA reported.
The football federation, along with the ministries of the interior and sports and youth, and two intelligence agencies are now preparing a plan to implement the decision, Taj added.
“Whether or not they will come is no longer an issue. Women will be present in stadiums,” he said.
Since the founding of the Islamic Republic more than 40 years ago, women have been banned from entering sports stadiums, a practice labelled “discriminatory and cruel” by Human Rights Watch.
In recent years, Iran has allowed a limited number of women to attend select matches after FIFA demanded Tehran change its policy. Prohibiting women from attending games is against international football regulations.
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