Girls’ School Establishment in Mazandaran (1906 – 1925)

Following late Qadjar era political and social changes, problems related to women and girls, especially those related to education, dress code, teenage marriage, and polygamy, were noticed by the elite and activists who were involved in social issues. Educating girls which was mainly on the basis of basic religious subjects, hardly contributed to the girls education in Iran then. Because of this, some women active in social affairs, tried to establish modern girls’ schools in Iran. In this study the researcher tries to represent the historical girls’ school establishment process in Mazandaran by examining primary sources from “constitutional revolution” to the end of Qadjar dynasty. In Mazandaran of Qadjar era, some women such as Molouk Kia in Barforoosh (today called Babol) and Fatemeh Vakili in Sari pioneered to establish the first girls’ school in Mazandaran. These schools have greatly contributed to the women and girls increasing role in scientific and social activities.