Iran's football federation proposes bill to allow women into stadiums

The Iranian football federation has requested parliament adopt a law that would overturn a ban on women attending matches in stadiums.

"A bill has been proposed to the Islamic national assembly by the Iranian football federation. Once it has been approved, the presence of women will be allowed," secretary general of the football body, Hassan Kamrani Far, said late on Thursday, quoted by a local news agency.

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Iran's parliament is largely dominated by ultraconservatives and religious dignitaries who remain opposed to women attending matches.

Women were refused access to stadia after the 1979 revolution in Iran, officially to protect them from inappropriate male behaviour, but exceptions have been made in recent times for international games.

World football's governing body FIFA has exerted pressure to allow women into international qualifiers.

Women were able to watch a game at the 80,000-seat Azadi stadium in October 2019, when Iran thrashed Cambodia 14-0.

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Iranian women were then to be allowed to watch the national team in a World Cup 2022 qualifier against South Korea earlier this month, the state TV-linked Young Journalists Club reported before that game.

The match went ahead behind closed doors.