Jun 16, 2014

Brazil’s national volleyball team beat Iran 3-2 at Tehran’s Azadi stadium June 15 in the FIVB Volleyball Men’s World League. However, what made headlines in the Iranian traditional and social media is the gathering of activists and fans against the ban on women entering the stadiums. The unfairness of the rule was thrown into particularly stark relief as Brazilian women with Brazilian passports were allowed to enter to watch the match.

Among the more than 50 protesters were well known activists Jila Baniyaghoob and Atefeh Nabavi, who stood outside the stadium with Iranian flags. Other Iranians wrote on the FIVB International Volleyball Federation's Facebook page that Iranian women were not allowed to attend.

In an editorial headlined “Is the blood of Brazilian women more colorful than Iranian women?” Iranian Students’ News Agency (ISNA) condemned the ban.

“Until now, no positive answer has been given [other than] reasons such as there being an inappropriate cultural atmosphere in the stadiums or the lack of observance and protection of moral norms,” the ISNA article read. A reason often cited for the continuation of the ban on women in stadiums is that chants and slogans and general banter inside the stadium by men can become inappropriate.

“What makes this more bitter,” went the article, “is that while Brazilian women go to the stadium with an easy mind to support their national team, Iranian women are stopped behind the gates of the stadium. Apparently a Brazilian passport has more credibility than an Iranian identity in our own land.