Aranya Doloi
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In a historic move, especially for sports enthusiasts and well, anti-sexist people, women in Iran will be allowed to attend men’s soccer matches, beginning with a World Cup qualifier next month. Football’s world governing body FIFA said in an unambiguous statement that Iran must admit women into its soccer games as it stated “women have to be allowed into football stadiums in Iran. For all football matches”.
The announcement comes after a female Iranian soccer fan set herself to fire this month, after learning that she could be imprisoned for six months because she snuck into a stadium to watch a match. Sahar Khodayari, 29, was detained by police after an altercation and released after three nights in jail, pending her court case. Her self-immolation prompted international condemnation, with human rights organizations calling Iran’s policy on gender in soccer stadiums a “discriminatory ban”.
Speaking at a FIFA conference on women’s football in Milan, FIFA President Gianni Infantino said he had been “assured” that women will be allowed to attend Iran’s next match against Cambodia. He said, “We’ve been assured that as of the next international game of Iran, which is to be played on October 10, women will be allowed to enter football stadiums. This is something that is very important, since 40 years this has not been happening with a couple of exceptions”.
The ban against women going to stadiums where men are playing was brought in shortly after the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
