Becoming Visible in Iran ─ Women in Contemporary Iranian Society

"The state of women in Islamic societies is the subject of much interest and heated debate. Yet, these discussions and representations in the media and elsewhere rely on inadequate information and misperceptions, imagining Muslim women as oppressed victims in need of liberation by outside forces. Becoming Visible in Iran disputes these widespread stereotypes, providing a vivid account of women in contemporary Iran as they go about their daily lives. Mehri Honarbin-Holliday presents the experiences of these women who wield a key if indirect political influence on the seemingly male dominated politics of this society, as they achieve a new visibility." "Highlighting links and continuities with the history of women in Iran, from the early twentieth century to the present moment, Honarbin-Holliday shows how Iranian women today strive: to be the author of one's fate, to resist narrow interpretations of religion, to conduct meaningful, rich and complex lives, to bring about change in the mindsets of male relatives, and to contribute to legal and political debates in the country." "For its direct presentation of women's voices as well as its analysis and insight, this book is a vital contribution to our understanding of the lives of Muslim women and the possibilities before them today. Becoming Visible in Iran is indispensable for those concerned with women in Islamic societies, gender studies, sociology, anthropology as well as Iran and the Middle East."--BOOK JACKET.

Mehri Honarbin-Holliday is Research Fellow in international education at Canterbury Christ Church University and affiliated to the London Middle East Institute.