Iranian women taste victory in defeat after stadium sit-in

IRANIAN female football fans were allowed into the main national stadium for the first time in 37 years on Wednesday after the government finally relaxed its ban on women at sporting events.

Women and families were allowed into Azadi Stadium to watch a big screen broadcast of the nation’s second World Cup match, after the tournament had become a flashpoint for the controversial ban.

Hopes that the ban would be lifted for the first match against Morocco were dashed hours before kick-off last week when the authorities said the necessary authorisations had not been given.

The prospect of watching the second match against Spain was then raised on Wednesday, when local media began to announce women and families could watch the match on a big screen in the nation’s largest stadium. However, women who had bought tickets arrived to find police and security forces had blocked access, saying the plan had once again been cancelled due to “infrastructural issues”.

The police refusal sparked a sit-in protest, with some fans saying they would not leave until they were let in. Fans were eventually let in an hour before the match after a special order by Abdul Reza Rahmani-fazli, the interior minister.

Women have not been allowed inside sporting venues since soon after the 1979 Islamic revolution, and successive governments have failed to persuade the religious establishment to budge. Those rejecting mixed audiences have in the past said women should not be exposed to the swearing of football fans and police do not have enough female officers to provide security.

Large numbers of Iranian women have travelled to Russia to cheer on their team and display banners urging for a change of rules back home.

Wednesday’s turnaround was hailed by Sergio Ramos, Spain’s captain. After his team had beaten Iran 1-0, he shared photographs of Iranian female fans and said: “They are the ones who won tonight. Hopefully the first of many.”