Women have been fighting for decades, so it should seem like the decision to allow women into today’s match is a victory. But given the small percentage of tickets allocated, it’s actually only a token gesture.

Amnesty International’s Middle East and North Africa director Philip Luther said Iran had decided to “allow a token number of women into the stadium” in what is a “cynical publicity stunt by the authorities intended to whitewash their image following the global outcry over Sahar Khodayari’s tragic death”.

He continued: “Anything short of a full reversal of the ban on women accessing all football stadiums is an insult to Sahar Khodayari’s memory and an affront to the rights of all the women of Iran who have been courageously campaigning for the ban to be lifted. The Iranian authorities should lift all restrictions on women attending football matches, including domestic league games, across the country.”

Luther also argued that the international community, including FIFA, should take responsibility for ensuring women can freely attend matches.

“FIFA has a responsibility to respect human rights throughout its operations, and the power under its statutes to take definitive and urgent action to address a situation which it has allowed to continue for far too long,” he said.

When steps like this are taken, it’s easy to celebrate – on the surface, things look like they’re progressing. But, as Luther explains, it’s not as simple as this – and we should always be on our guard against superficial, tokenistic displays of equality.

Image: Unsplash

Iran just let women attend a football game for the first time in years – but don’t celebrate yet