Apr 10, 2018

Women in a remote Iranian village not only attend football matches but last week received awards for their attendance, local media reported on Tuesday.

The cons

ervative Sobh-e No newspaper said the prizes were handed out to women after a veteran's match last week in the village of Shahijan, which has a population of just 209, in the southern Bushehr province.

Clerics have banned women from attending football matches in Iran, saying they must be protected from the masculine atmosphere, though the ruling is frequently criticised from across the political spectrum.

"A dear grandmother had taken part in all the games as a spectator," said veteran player and former village chief Ali Omrani, according to the newspaper.