Iranian women are taking over the political front—topping villages, shaping national agendas, and empowering the next generation after three centuries under siege. The past few years have provided tokenistic representation but an avalanche of pressure is building that will initiate long-term reform. Here is a snapshot of the milestones and next-generation leaders remaking Iran’s politics.
More Women, Greater Roles
As of Feb. 2024, 5.6% of parliamentarians were women—a modest but hopeful increase over past years. While figures are usually in low numbers, each constituency is one less lost to centuries of male supremacy, and one closer to being part of the political mainstream.
Breaking Barriers at the Local Level
Iranian cities also had robust women leadership. Zahra Sadr-Azam Nouri was voted to the office of Tehran’s first woman district mayor in 1996 en.mehrnews.com. Khadijeh Jashnparvar was just called Ravansar’s first Sunni Kurdish woman mayor, Kermanshah Province kfuture.media—a tale of ethnic and gender diversification to share.
Samaneh Shad-Del became the 2nd district mayor of Zanjan in 2017, a woman’s second in city council.
A Movement of Momentum
2022 “Women, Life, Freedom” political goals and women’s aspirations amnesty. Governments learned the hard way by brutally repressing demonstrations also new experimentation with membership and change—fireplace of inner gov’t debate to loosen control and other means for women.
Leadership Beyond Elected Seats
Iranian women are taking on more senior executive and advisory posts, from a provincial council chairman to top ministry positions for labor and social affairs. The new appointments are a sign of an widening definition of what Iranian women are to be as leaders.
Challenges and Opportunities Ahead
Active citizens’ movements, UN Women, and campaign movement activists challenge women to claim 27% of the municipal council seats in Iran’s cities in 2024—in a goal Iran rejects tehrantimes.com. With parliament seats fewer than 6% of women currently hold, no one has any question of so much more to be achieved.
A Positive Outlook
In spite of opposition, Iranian women politicians have an impressive track record to establish. While more municipalities are electing or undermining municipalities in order to have women mayors and more civic elections are offering women a platform, institutions of gradual transition into national politics are being established.
From municipal mayors to MPs, Iranian women are establishing a political future—one win at a time, one speech at a time, one vote at a time.
