Iran, women at the stadium for a championship match: it is the first time since 1979

For the first time since the 1979 Islamic revolution , women in Iran officially attended a national championship football match.

The BBC reports, about 500 women were present on Thursday evening at the match at the Azadi stadium in Tehran, as evidenced by the photos that have gone viral.

Women are effectively excluded from national matches . The last match they attended was a World Cup qualifier three years ago. At the time, authorities relented following protests sparked by the death of Sahar Khodayari, 29, who set himself on fire pending trial for trying to watch a game disguised as a man.

Khodayari became known as " Blue Girl ", the colors of the team she supported and a symbol of the struggle for women's rights in Iran. Several Iranian websites claim that the decision to allow women to attend the game on Thursday night came after pressure from international organizations and FIFA who sent a letter to the authorities inviting them to allow more women to enter the stadiums. .

At Thursday's match, between the home team Estaqlal and rivals Mes-e Kerman, the women were sitting in the stands divided by the men . Many waved flags, donned their team colors and sang "Blue Girl" in recognition of Khodayari.

In Iran, there is no official ban on women from going to sporting events, but they rarely participate because they are often denied entry . In 2018, dozens of women were arrested after trying to watch a football match, while others managed to enter the stadium wearing fake beards and wigs.

(Unioneonline / L)