The effect of educational institutions on improving the status of women in the Qajar period

Subject Areas : Political Developments in Iran

Fatemeh Mahbob ¹ , AliAsghar Davoudi ² , hamid saidi javadi ³

1 - Department of Political Science, Mashhad Branch, Islamic Azad University, Mashhad, Iran
2 - Department of Political Science, Mashhad Branch, Islamic Azad University, Mashhad, Iran
3 - Department of Political Science, Mashhad Branch, Islamic Azad University, Mashhad, Iran

Received: 2023-01-03 Accepted : 2023-02-18 Published : 2023-12-22

Keywords: Qajar period, institutionalism, position of women, girls schools, constitutionalism,

Abstract :

The status of women in the Qajar period was such that they were deprived of the smallest social, economic, cultural and political rights and were under severe restrictions caused by the patriarchal society. One of the most important reasons that put women in that situation was illiteracy, lack of awareness and lack of communication with society. For this reason, one of the first measures taken by modern women was the construction of girls' schools and efforts to educate girls and women. Although the establishment of girls' schools in that environment was met with protest and reaction from the traditional society, but gradually, especially after the constitutional revolution, it spread and had beneficial effects on the status of women. The aim of the current research is to investigate the results and consequences of the establishment and gradual expansion of educational institutions on the status of women at this stage. Therefore, the question is, what effect did educational institutions have on the status of women in the Qajar period? The hypothesis is that educational institutions, including girls' schools, have caused literacy and, as a result, the growth of awareness, change of attitude and efforts to play a greater role for women in society. The findings of the research show that the submissive and undemanding women of the Qajar period, upon entering the Pahlavi period, turned into demanding women who raised demands such as the right to enter society and employment. The present research method is descriptive-analytical and the data were collected in a library manner.