About this book:

*Women and the Public Sphere* provides a comprehensive analysis of the legal, social, and political landscapes governing the lives of women in contemporary Iran. Tracing the historical arc from the Constitutional Revolution to the Islamic Republic, the book explores how the dual architecture of civil codes and Sharia-based family law creates a bifurcated existence for women—granting them tools for economic transaction while maintaining patriarchal controls over marriage, divorce, and custody. It details how education has served as a primary engine for mobility, producing highly qualified generations of women who nonetheless face systemic barriers in the labor market and political institutions, leading many to navigate the "gray economy" or informal sectors of employment.

The text emphasizes the public sphere as a site of constant negotiation and everyday resistance, particularly regarding the regulation of modesty and the mandatory hijab. It examines the mechanisms of state surveillance and moral policing, contrasting them with the sophisticated repertoires women use to claim visibility, from strategic litigation and digital activism to symbolic presence in sports stadiums. The book highlights the significance of "feminist theology" and the emergence of female religious scholars who challenge traditional interpretations of scripture from within, arguing for gender justice using the state’s own ideological language.

A significant portion of the book focuses on the evolution of collective action, from early petition drives like the One Million Signatures Campaign to the 2022 "Woman, Life, Freedom" movement. These mobilizations are analyzed through the lens of intersectionality, acknowledging how ethnicity, geography, and class shape the varying risks and opportunities for women across the country. The author illustrates how digital platforms have revolutionized dissent, allowing for the rapid circulation of testimony and the creation of transnational networks that bypass traditional state-controlled media.

Ultimately, the book outlines potential futures for Iran, ranging from managed state liberalization to structural realignment. It argues that the measure of social change is found not only in legislative shifts but in the normalized presence of women in classrooms, workplaces, and cultural forums. By synthesizing structural constraints with the ingenuity of grassroots agency, the work concludes that the ongoing renegotiation of the public sphere is a central, defining feature of Iran’s broader political and social evolution.

What You'll Find Inside:

• The book traces how women's presence in Iran's public sphere has evolved from the Constitutional Revolution through the Islamic Republic, revealing patterns of gain, loss, and adaptation in rights claims across generations.
• It examines the complex legal architecture where Sharia, civil codes, and constitutional provisions interact to both enable and restrict women's public participation, with careful attention to gaps between law on paper and in practice.
• Key domains of contestation are analyzed including family law (marriage, divorce, custody), hijab regulations, education access, workforce participation, and political representation, showing how intimate life structures public standing.
• The book documents diverse forms of women's activism from legal campaigns and civil society organizing to digital activism and the 'Woman, Life, Freedom' movement, illustrating how constraints are converted into opportunities for agency.
• It situates Iran's gender politics within regional and global contexts, analyzing how international norms, economic sanctions, and intersectional factors (ethnicity, class, region) shape women's experiences and movement-building.

Who's It For:

This book is essential reading for scholars and students of gender studies, Middle Eastern politics, and human rights who seek a comprehensive understanding of women's evolving roles in contemporary Iran. It will also benefit policymakers, activists, and journalists working on gender equality issues in Muslim-majority contexts, providing historical depth and analysis of legal, social, and political barriers to women's public participation. Researchers interested in intersectional approaches to studying how ethnicity, class, and region compound gender-based disadvantages will find particular value in its nuanced analysis.