The Impact of Iraq-Iran War on Social Roles of Iranian Women

Abstract

This article seeks to assess changes in the roles of Iranian women as a result of the Iran-Iraq War of 1980–1988. Its intellectual basis derives from the general social science idea that war is an important factor in social, political, economic and cultural changes, and it especially has a great influence on various aspects of women's lives, which historically can be observed in new social roles taken up by women during wartime. This observation was true in Iran with the absence from their homes of many men who were defending their country. Some roles of Iranian women in that conflict included: Participation in military, economic and social mobilization; logistic support in the headquarters on the front lines; taking care of their families and moral support for men who were dispatched to the front; migration from war-zones and becoming familiar with other social environments; and becoming involved in economic issues that had arisen due to the war and international economic sanctions. The war had both positive and negative affects on Iranian women, involving them either directly or indirectly with the political and social system. The article addresses the impact of war on Iranian women by studying various relevant issues. The hypothesis of this article is that war extensively changed the traditional roles of Iranian women.

Keywords::

• Achieved roles
• imposed roles
• Iran
• Iran-Iraq War
• Iraq
• mandatory roles
• optional roles
• social roles
• women

Acknowledgements

With thanks to the assistance of Afife Abedi, MA, International Relations.

Notes

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