In Iran, police officers guarding the gates of international sports competitions aren't just there for security — they arrest women who try to watch.
Iranian women have been banned from watching sports games since the Iranian revolution in 1979, despite international cries for a change. This week Human Rights Watch is trying its hand at a social media campaign, #Watch4Women, that demands that Iran not be allowed to host the International Volleyball Federation (FIVB) competition until they stop banning women from games.
Tell the @FIVBVolleyball if women can't go, Iran can't host. #Watch4Women https://t.co/rbLueTkRXT pic.twitter.com/B0eUb9zRdt
— Human Rights Watch (@hrw) November 2, 2015What is wrong with this picture? Find out here: https://t.co/6hbFhzcGp3 #Iran #Watch4Women @FIVBVolleyball pic.twitter.com/7MBcG4GjTR
— Edward Herbert (@ed_herbert) November 2, 2015This is why Iranian women can't enter stadiums & @FIVBVolleyball let the Govt get away w it #Watch4Women @hrw @ICHRI pic.twitter.com/MgyzzydGv8
— Omid Memarian (@Omid_M) November 2, 2015But the hashtag hasn't caught on yet. Only about 3,900 people have used #Watch4Women as of Wednesday night, a pretty low number considering trending ones hit that number every few hours. It's already been two weeks since HRW publicized the campaign on Oct. 23.
The FIVB has said in the past that Iran wouldn't be allowed to host tournaments until it changed its blatant discrimination policy against women. Nonetheless, the Beach Volleyball World Tour will be hosted in Iran in February 2016.
The Islamic Republic's laws against women watching games goes against the federation's own constitution, which states, "No discrimination: The FIVB shall not discriminate between individuals or between nations and shall refrain from any involvement in political, religious, philosophical or racial matters."
Here's what the federation said when HRW asked about its policies: “As a sports organization, the FIVB has no power to dictate cultural or social paradigms.”
By Hayat Norimine
