Even before they took power, Iranian Islamic revolutionary leaders claimed to support the socio-economic upliftment of women, in conformity with Muslim law, while protecting them from western corrupting influences. Accordingly, the Islamic republic has pursued simultaneous policies of segregation and seclusion—permitting women selective access to the professional world while encouraging them to remain homemakers. Strong feminist movements and secular, pro-western trends in the youth today are coming into conflict with the conservative, moral reaction promoted by the clergy.
