Iranian vs Arab feminism?

[jake williams]

I don't know if this is a misinformed question from the start, but I get this general feeling that Iranian feminism is a lot stronger than it is in the Arab world.

Any insight as to why that might be?

[Black Dagger]

I don't think i understand your question. Why are you comparing the two? (Linking them inextricably).

To answer your question - no, i have no idea - sorry. Possibly a greater freedom of intellectual pursuit for women in iran than in the 'arab world' (needs to be defined)? I really don't know much about Iran or Arab feminism though to be honest, so just a guess.

[jake williams]

I don't think i understand your question. Why are you comparing the two? (Linking them inextricably).
There seem to be some surface similarities between Iran and Arab societies, there's a shared religion and shared philosophical history, at least in the last few centuries. They're reasonably close geographically and to some degree culturally. There are some similar political scenes, again going on what little I know.

Like I said, it might not be a very well-formed question - there might not be enough similarity between Iran and the Arab world to warrant even asking the question, but I feel like there is. (There might not even be more development in Iranian feminism, but there seems to be). It seems like there's something that either restricted the development of relatively native Arab feminism but that allowed a relatively strong Iranian women's movement. I don't know though, I'm just sort of putting it out there in case anyone knows.


'arab world'
Arab-speaking world, more or less excluding the Maghreb (Arab north Africa) because it's so politically isolated.

[Led Zeppelin]

Iran has had a pretty rich and strong working-class movement, probably the most interesting of the Middle-East in the past century (it had the largest communist organization for example), so I believe that explains the strong development of feminism there as well.

But then again, there have been secular Arab states which also promoted equality between men and women.

[Black Dagger]

If only rioters bloc was still around, she would be able to give us a good low-down on arab and muslim feminism.