Women and Politics in the Islamic Republic of Iran Action and Reaction [Paperback]

Women and Politics in the Islamic Republic of Iranlooks at the rise and role of female activism in Iran since the 1979 Revolution.

Since 1979 women have played a decisive role in elections and assumed political posts. This study assesses this role as well as the impact of domestic and international policies on women's activism, highlighting the contradictions between politics and religion within the Islamic Republic. It also seeks to evaluate political and economic developments and the transformations in civil society, including the development of a gender conscious society.

Women and Politics in the Islamic Republic of Iranfeatures original research by Sanam Vakil, an Iranian-American scholar, who conducted interviews with women activists, politicians, journalists, clerics and students in Iran, Europe and the U.S. and used primary sources to specifically links women's activism to the domestic political changes in Iran.

The book will be an essential resource for anyone studying Iranian politics and seeking to understand better the internal political and social dynamics in Iran and the critical role that women play.

The book examines the growth and development of women's activism in Iran since the 1979 Revolution.

Introduction - A Female Awakening through a Century of Trouble / 2 - The Revolutionary Century Through the Eyes and Lives of Women / 3 - Khomeini: The Paradox and Politics of Religion / 4 - Defining and Redefining Activist Women / 5 - Rafsanjani: Road to Reform / 6 - Khatami: The Momentum and Challenge of Reform / 7 - Ahmadinejad: Claim Making and Stagnating Reform / Conclusion- The Circles of Confrontation, Conciliation and Contradition / Bibliography /