A Study of the Achievements and Remaining Challenges in Female Education in Iran

A considerable progress has been made towards gender equality in the Iranian education over the past decades. The study of various educational indicators points to such a fact. The most significant progress has been made at the primary and secondary education levels where the gender parity index (GPI) since 2000 has been 0.96 and 0.92, respectively. The purpose of this article is to identify the key factors that have led to higher gender equality at the primary and secondary education levels in Ir􀆗n. It analyzes the educational, social, political, economic, and cultural elements that have acted as facilitating factors, and points to effective policies and innovative measures undertaken. It also identifies the in-school and out-of-school obstacles that continue to hinder efforts to close the gender gap in education. A situation analysis of the educational trend over the past decades; an analysis of the stages of the revolution, the “Question of Woman”, and the dual role of women in post-revolutionary Ir􀆗n; and the portrayal of the political will and popular demand for education illustrate some of the causes of increased gender equality. On the other hand, the three basic principles of the Islamic Republic of Ir􀆗n —namely, politicization, Islamization, and equalization— have paved the road for increased female participation in education. Despite major achievements in the realm of female education, shortcomings persist mainly in terms of lack of access to schooling among poor, rural, and nomadic girls. Furthermore, the continued existence of a gender insensitive school curriculum that portrays stereotypical images of men and women in textbooks creates a traditional mentality that direct female students away from what have been labelled as “male-oriented” fields of study. Significant shortcomings notwithstanding, one can see a cycle in female education in Ir􀆗n in which the ruling elite seeks to educate the ideal female citizen according to the principles of an Islamizing and revolutionary society, thus creating a generation of educated women who, in turn, influence their society and act as role models for young girls, who then seek education as a means of equality and empowerment.