Imagine being turned away from the stadium to watch your favorite sport because of your gender. That's what Iranian women are dealing with today.
FIFA delegation experts visited Tehran to discuss ways to allow women in Iran to freely attend football matches on September 19 before a FIFA World Cup qualifying match against Cambodia.
Among the delegation was joined by a representatives from the Asian Football Confederation, Football Federation of the Islamic Republic of Iran, as well as Iran's Deputy Minister of Sport and Youth.
FIFA had stated that they are firm in their position that women need to be allowed to enter soccer matches freely and because the amount of women who would attend would drive ticket sales.
FIFA also stated that it would be essential to have a women's soccer league and open the national matches up for women to attend.
Iran has a strict rule against allowing women to enter soccer matches, and after 29-year-old Sahar Khodayari had been detained or dressing as a man to enter a soccer stadium, had self-immolated herself after being sentenced to six months in prison. This incident had caught the attention of FIFA as well as becoming an immediate hashtag trend across the Islamic Republic.
You can find more about this on FIFA's website here.
