The Relationship between Religiosity and Harassment for Women: A Systematic Analysis of Harassment for Women in Iranian Cities

Street harassment is a form of violence against women.  Research has paid less attention to the issue of street and sexual harassment. Considering the lack of systematic research on the relationship between the levels of one’s religiosity and the odds of committing street harassment, the current study aims to fill this gap. Using the National Survey on Social, Cultural and Moral Status of the Iranian Society, the data of 426 cities are analyzed and compared to answer the research question. Results show that: one, religiosity has a negative effect on the chance of committing harassment; two, social inequality has a reducing effect on the level of harassment; three, the average chance of occurring harassment in Sunni cities is higher than Shiite cities; four, the Iranian and Islamic identity has a negative effect on the chance of committing harassment, while, the Western identity has a positive one; five, there is an association between the frequency of harassment and membership in religious groups.