PRESIDENT ROUHANI AND IRAN’S ‘WOMAN QUESTION’ AFTER ONE YEAR IN OFFICE

Year 2015, Volume: 7 Issue: 1, 38 - 57, 01.07.2015

Rebecca L. Barlow

Abstract

Is the Islamic Republic capable of accommodating gender reform? What does the election of reformist President Hassan Rouhani mean for the country’s women? And after one year in office, has his government offered a meaningful response to the ‘woman question’? This paper examines the socio-political climate around women and their position in Iranian society inherited by the Rouhani administration, and analyses the extent to which Rouhani has the authority to oversee real policy change on women’s status. Through a critical review of Rouhani’s first year in office, the author argues that there are some promising signs of change, but these are up against a culture of patriarchy that is entrenched amongst Iran’s political and clerical elite, whose view of women is that of the homemaker and caregiver, with limited public agency

Keywords

Islamic Republic of Iran, President Rouhani, The Iranian women’s movement, Patriarchy, Islam, Islamic feminism

GÖREVDE BULUNDUĞU BİR YILIN ARDINDAN CUMHURBAŞKANI RUHANİ VE İRAN’IN ‘KADIN MESELESİ’

Abstract

İslam Cumhuriyeti toplumsal cinsiyet reformuna uyum sağlayabilecek mi? Reformcu Cumhurbaşkanı Hasan Ruhani’nin seçilmesi ülkenin kadınları için ne anlama geliyor? Görevde bulunduğu bir yılın ardından, Ruhani’nin hükümeti ‘kadın meselesi’ne anlamlı bir karşılık verebildi mi? Bu makale, Ruhani yönetiminin devraldığı haliyle İran’da kadının etrafındaki sosyo-politik iklimi ve İran toplumunda kadının yerini incelemekte ve Ruhani’nin kadının statüsündeki gerçek politika değişimini yönetmek için ne kadar yetkin olduğunu analiz etmektedir. Yazar, Ruhani’nin cumhurbaşkanlığındaki bir yılının eleştirel bir değerlendirmesinden hareketle, kadının durumuna ilişkin umut vadeden birtakım değişim belirtilerinin bulunduğunu, ancak bunların, kadını ev hanımı ve bakıcı olarak gören ve kadına kamusal alanda sınırlı bir rol atfeden, İran’ın siyasi ve ruhani eliti arasında kökleşmiş olan ataerkil kültüre tamamen karşı olduğunu ortaya koymaktadır

Keywords

İran İslam Cumhuriyeti, Cumhurbaşkanı Ruhani, İran Kadın Hareketi, Ataerkillik, İslam, İslami feminizm

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