An Iranian Woman Was Jailed For 71 Days For Attempting To Watch Game At All-Male Stadium

We recently posted a video showing what it’s like to be a woman walking over Cairo’s busiest bridge, bringing light to the unfair objectification of women in the African city.

Unfortunately, many areas in the Middle East treat women similarly, as gender equality is not yet actualized in that part of the world.

In Tehran, Iran, for instance, women are barred from several public places, like the city’s Azadi Stadium. The name, ironically, translates to “freedom” stadium.

Over two months ago, a 25-year-old British-Iranian woman named Ghonche Ghavami joined a group of women attempting to attend a volleyball game at the males-only stadium.

They were arrested and released on bail, but when Ghavami returned a week later to collect the belongings confiscated from her, she was jailed again. This time, authorities placed Ghavami in solitary confinement in Evin, an Iranian political prison.

So far, she's been imprisoned for 71 days (with 41 of those days in solitary) and there has yet to be an explanation from the authorities as to why she’s been arrested.

According to reports, she’s also been interrogated. Details on this, however, are scarce. It’s unclear if physical force has been involved.

Over the past several years, women’s rights activists have increased their activity within Iran. Clearly, there’s still much work to be done.

H/T: Telegraph, Photo Courtesy: Facebook