Women’s Rights: From Revolutionary Symbols to Controlled Citizens
Women played a crucial role in the 1979 revolution, taking to the streets in large numbers. Khomeini initially praised their participation and even entertained the idea of a female head of state. But after coming to power, his rhetoric shifted drastically.
He revoked the Family Protection Law of 1967, which had granted women certain rights in marriage and divorce. Under the new regime, divorce law was returned to traditional interpretations of Sharia, where men retained dominant rights, and a woman could not leave the house without her husband’s permission. Spousal rape was not recognized as a crime.
Khomeini’s fatwas clarified women’s obligations in marriage:
“A woman who has entered into a permanent marriage should not go out of the house without her husband’s permission…”
Polygamy remained legal. Adultery was punished severely, including by stoning. The legal marriage age was lowered to 13 for girls and 15 for boys. Despite these measures, women’s participation in sectors such as healthcare and education increased under state initiatives to utilize female labor—but within a controlled Islamic framework. The image of a woman like Fatima Zahra was exalted as the ideal: modest, devout, and obedient.
This duality led to a mixed legacy. Many women felt betrayed, especially feminists and liberal activists. Others, particularly from traditional backgrounds, felt more included and empowered than during the Shah’s Westernization drive.