#Watch4Women campaign for women’s rights to attend men’s volleyball matches in Iranian stadiums

Photo © 2015 Human Rights Watch

Can you imagine being arrested for entering a stadium to watch you favorite male sports team play, simply because you are a woman?

This is the harsh reality for women in Iran today. Human Rights Watch needs you to join an important new campaign for one aspect of women’s rights in Iran. The #Watch4Women campaign is fighting for women’s rights to attend men’s volleyball matches in Iranian stadiums. Volleyball is a hugely popular sport in Iran and a great source of national pride. The prohibition against women and girls watching volleyball games in stadiums is symptomatic of the longstanding, serious rights abuses and discrimination women and girls in Iran face. Ending the ban preventing female spectators from entering stadiums would be a symbolically important step toward greater gender equality in Iran and should be a top priority for the International Volleyball Federation.