In the Name of God

The Role of Women in

Higher Education in Iran
By: Dr. Nahla Gharavi- Naeeni
Associate Professor at Tarbiat Modarres University
Tehran/ I. R. of Iran
E-mail: Naeeni_n@yahoo.com
Mar, 2010

Introduction

The importance of education is quite clear.

Education is the knowledge of how to put one's
potentials to maximum use. One can safely say
that a human being does not have proper sense
until he is educated.

Introduction (continued)
This is why Islam attaches such great
importance to knowledge and education. This is
why Islam attaches such great importance to
knowledge and education, as prophet (p.b.u.h)
said:

Looking for knowledge is obligatory for each
Muslim. Behold that Allah loves those who look
for knowledge (Kulainy, vol1.p30).

Introduction (continued)
The Prophet (p.b.u.h) has said:


Verily, knowledge is three: strong sine or just
obligatory act or current sonnah and extra
knowledge are grateness(Kulainy,vol1.p32).

Women and Higher Education

As prophet (p.b.u.h) was teaching men, He was

also teaching women in separate time as men.
He was encouraging all Muslim (men or women)
to learn Quran and Islamic law(Shariah) for
increase their understanding about the unity of
Allah and the cost of religion and its guidance.

Women and Higher Education

Without the correct commitment, all education

would be useless. People who do not have the
correct commitment will not be able to apply
the lessons theyve learned in life; therefore no
matter how much education they have, if they
do not take the initiative to apply it, they still will
not be successful.

Women and Higher Education

Educated woman can understand and use food

products, health items, and sanitary products in
the correct way, and also teach proper usage of
such items to the members of her family.

Role and status of women in education

Same as men, women could learn knowledge and teach

and be useful in education in any field.
Any mother can teach her children how to be a good
person with good manners, so if a mother is a welleducated and trained person, she can be a good teacher
and trainer for her children too. As a mother, a woman
affects her children (boys and girls), as a wife, she
affects her husband, and as a female in the family, she
affects her father and brothers; so the role of women in
family and society is very high.
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Role and status of women in education

As much as mothers are more knowledgeable

and educated, they can become better teachers
and trainers.
By studying and pursuing educational activities,
a mother can instill an interest in her children to
attempt to gain knowledge. For this reason
many Iranian women after revolution of Iran by
spending their time with studying in higher
education.
9

Role and status of women in education

Either some of field which appeared in Iran

after revolution , like theology, women also
participated and studied in universities and now
there are many women professors in this field
which are teaching in universities.

10

Role and status of women in education

Parents are responsible for their children. The

Holy Prophet of Islam (p.b.u.h) has said: Train
your children and teach them because they are
going to be responsible in their lives. (Kolainy
1367 AH(1988): vol.6, p.50).
He also has said: All of you are responsible for
your subjects, and women are responsible for
their family and their children. (Varram
collection: vol.1, p.6 ).
11

Iranian women and education

Iranian ladies since revolution tried to study and

increase their knowledge to reach in higher
education and be useful in society, by taking care
of the Islamic limits.
The data of accepted student in graduate level of
universities trough last 20 years in below, shows
that the junior college degree and B.S degree
have increased 10 times, and for M.S and PH.D
degree have increased more than 40 times.
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Graduated Students from Governmental Universities on Different Level of Education,13651385: (1986- 2006) / By: Science , Research &Technology Ministry (Research center)

TOTAL

PH.D

M.S

B.S

JONIOR COLLEGE
YEAR

MEN WOMEN

MEN

WOMEN

MEN

WOMEN

MEN

WOMEN

MEN

WOMEN

18488 8439

1171

504

510

102

9927

4713

6880

3120

1365-1366

55521 28361

4820

2528

4831

1108

31707

17456 14163

7269

1375-1376

58685 32366

4088

1665

5205

1087

34132

21530 15260

8084

1376-1377

65504 40433

4529

2083

5385

1315

37531

25926 18059

11109

1377-1378

73805 48492

3916

1938

5407

1459

37530

31681 26952

13414

1378-1379

72633 57778

4113

2086

5943

1704

39640

38611 22937

15377

1379-1380

71080 56037

4088

2126

5285

1781

36514

38046 25193

14084

1380-1381

73970 64378

4454

2499

6484

2235

35643

41821 27389

17823

1381-1382

76147 70712

4284

2592

6233

2506

35785

47680 29845

17934

1382-1383

89895 88890

4183

3046

7701

3411

38796

54461 39215

27972

1383-1384

84063 93686

3997

2934

8359

4488

38000

58274 33707

27990

1384-1385

13

Iranian women and education

Another data shows the number of women who

have degree in higher education in different filed
in Iran, as there is in below:

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Data for 2006 I. R .Iran

By: Science , Research &Technology Ministry (Research center)
Ph.D.&
PROF.

M.S. &
M.A

B.A

D.

Total

COURSE

371

7703

175001

187877

370958

Educational &training sciences

10043

42677

512803

186918

755206

Human science &art

8001

83434

699294

239955

1030806

Social science &law

5593

30756

284144

71371

391905

Basic sciences

5844

65363

420765

438754

930832

engineering

3115

16640

110123

46143

176046

agriculture

28040

72860

165592

105060

371568

health

62844

336467

2491296

1436390

4330850

Total (men &women)

80

2832

97438

110916

211265

Educational &training sciences

1415

15886

313951

112743

444462

Human science &art

954

18555

282647

97092

399269

Social science &law

627

10435

155903

28609

195591

Basic sciences

225

6984

71152

80146

158507

Engineering

346

2096

23816

6810

33089

Agriculture

9158

27543

129228

75447

241390

Health

13248

88673

1123248

583326

1809366

Total woman
15

Discussion

The comparative data from 1996- 2006 in total

for all filed of sciences are:
26938 for 1996 & 1809366 for 2006, So,
1782428 educated women have increased in Iran
during 10 years. Since 2006 until now surely it
has increased more recently.
In detail we can see that in any field the rate of increasing is
different, which shows the variety of womens interests and
their ability in learning and education.
16

Discussion

For example the number of graduated in PH.D

have increased 4 times for Educational
&training sciences. And 7 times for Human
science &Art. More than 8 times for Social
science &law, about 9 times for Basic sciences
and 22 times for Engineering, and more than 9
times for Agriculture, and more than 30 times
for Health.
17

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