As the world watches Sunday’s Women’s World Cup final, TV cameras will capture the joyful faces of spectators of all ages, races, and genders. Such joy, taken for granted by many people around the world, is unfortunately denied to women in Iran.
Since 1982, the Islamic republic has prohibited women from attending football and other sporting events. Though such discrimination is a blatant violation of the statutes and guiding principles of Fifa, it has counted the Islamic republic of Iran football federation as a member for over 30 years without the slightest reproach. The time has come for the world to call on Fifa, and for Fifa to call on Iran, to put an end to discrimination against women.
Barring women from entering football stadiums is a violation of article three of the Fifa statutes, its governing document, which states: “Discrimination of any kind against any Country, private person or group of people on account of race, skin colour, ethnic, national or social origin, gender, language, religion, political opinion or any other opinion, wealth, birth or any other status, sexual orientation or any other reason is strictly prohibited and punishable by suspension or expulsion.”
Gender-based discrimination also violates Fifa’s objectives, which are set forth in Article 2 of the statutes, include “[promoting the game of football] globally in light of its unifying, educational, cultural and humanitarian values,” as well as “[controlling] every type of Association Football by taking steps to prevent infringements of the Statutes, regulations or decisions of Fifa.” Members of Fifa are required to comply fully with the statutes pursuant to article 13. Articles 14 and 15 provide for the suspension or expulsion of any member that “seriously violates the Statutes, regulations or decisions of Fifa.”
Iranian women – and men – have taken great risks to draw attention to gender apartheid at sporting events. Offside, a 2006 film by acclaimed director Jafar Panahi, chronicles the poignant struggle of several girls who attempt to sneak into a football match by dressing as men. In 2014, a group of women, including 25-year-old Ghoncheh Ghavami, were arrested for trying to attend a volleyball match in Tehran. Ghavami was sentenced to a year in jail, but released after several months due to an international uproar.
In recent months, the movement has taken on a global dimension. Thousands of Iranian men and women have taken to social media and sporting events around the world, including the 2015 Asian Cup matches in Australia in January, the Iran-Sweden football friendly in Stockholm in March, and the FIVB World League volleyball matches in Los Angeles and Tehran in June, to call for an end to the ban on Iranian women in Iranian stadiums. In February, prominent Iranian activists penned a letter to Fifa president Sepp Blatter. Though Blatter expressed public support for their cause, the situation in Iran remains unchanged.
In tackling gender discrimination, Fifa can take example from its strong position against racism. Fifa has promoted widely its Say No to Racism campaign, including at matches and across various media. Fifa’s Resolution on the Fight against Racism and Discrimination in its 63rd session of the Fifa congress, held in May 2013, established requirements for competition organizers to formulate concrete action plans to fight racism and deploy anti-discrimination officers in every match, and prescribed a stricter application of sanctions in response to violations.
Instead of expelling the Islamic republic of Iran football federation from Fifa - which would crush the spirit of tens of millions of Iranians - similar anti-gender discrimination rules, regulations, programs and publicity campaigns could provide Fifa and the global community of football fans with more effective tools to enforce and promote Fifa policies and bring an end to discrimination against women in the world of football.
Such strong actions are necessary if Fifa is to remain faithful to its statutes and guiding principles, including its commitment to promote football as a unifying force.
This article was amended to say that the game with Sweden was in March, not May.