Donna M. Hughes

Women in Iran face repression under an Islamic fundamentalist government, maintains Donna M. Hughes in the following viewpoint. Iranian women are denied equal participation in family life, public activities, education, employment, and politics, she reports. Although many women are demanding civil rights, they are still subject to strict dress codes, gender segregation, and restrictions on freedom of expression. Iran’s women should not expect the fundamentalist leadership to ever entertain any notions concerning female empowerment, Hughes concludes. Hughes is the director of the women’s studies program at the University of Rhode Island in Kingston.

As you read, consider the following questions:

1. According to Hughes, what punishments are given to Iranian women who break the dress code?
2. What are Mohammed Khatami’s views on the emancipation of women, in Hughes&rsquo...