Iranian ladies allowed to attend home soccer match for first time in over 40 years

5 hundred ladies had been granted entry into Tehran's Azadi stadium to observe a league match between Tehran-based Esteghlal FC and visiting group Sanat Mes Kerman FC, from town of Kerman, the nation's semi-official state information company Fars mentioned on Thursday.

Girls had been separated from males within the stadium and entered by way of a particular entrance through a parking lot, in keeping with the Iranian Soccer Federation web site.

Iran's ban on ladies attending sports activities stadiums isn't written into regulation however was put in place shortly after the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

Whereas Thursday was the primary time in over 40 years Iranian feminine soccer followers had been allowed to observe a sport between native groups, ladies have been capable of attend a small variety of the nationwide group's matches.

This yr, Iranian ladies had been allowed to share a landmark second as Iran secured qualification for November's World Cup in Qatar.

Three years earlier than that, 1000's of girls had been permitted to attend a World Cup Qualifier sport between Iran and Cambodia in 2019, following stress from human rights teams and the game's world governing physique, FIFA.

That yr, FIFA had come underneath growing stress to pressure Iran to overturn its ban on ladies coming into sports activities stadiums, particularly following the loss of life of Sahar Khodayari, a feminine fan who set herself on hearth after she was denied entry to a soccer stadium in Tehran.

Dubbed the "Blue Lady" on social media after the colours of her favourite Iranian soccer group, Esteghlal, Khodayari was charged with "overtly committing a sinful act" by "showing in public and not using a hijab" when she tried to enter a stadium "dressed as a person" in March 2019, in keeping with human rights group Amnesty Worldwide.

Girls on Thursday had been heard chanting "Blue Lady" -- a tribute to Khodayari years after her loss of life.