From Presence to Authority: The Gendered Architecture of Political and Governing Power in Iran
Published:
Fatemeh (Nazanin) Azizmohammadi, Ph.D.
Published in Persian in Madreseh-ye Hoquq-e Omumi (Public Law School), the academic and news quarterly of the Public Law Department, Faculty of Law, Shahid Beheshti University. Volume 2, issue 5, Autumn 1405 / 2026, pp. 23–24.
Original language: Persian. The text below is an English summary; the published Persian pages are available through the linked Persian page.
Summary
An increase in the number of women in political and administrative institutions does not, by itself, establish an increase in their decision-making authority. This essay examines the gap between women’s numerical presence, the positions they hold, and the powers attached to those positions in Iran.
It considers how legal rules and their interpretation, appointment and promotion pathways, the gendered distribution of management portfolios, and informal networks of power restrict the conversion of women’s qualifications and experience into political authority. It also distinguishes descriptive representation from substantive representation: the presence of women can contribute to policy change when they can influence agendas and decisions.
The essay proposes assessing participation through the level of responsibility and scope of authority, alongside transparent appointments, assessable selection criteria, and disaggregated data on senior positions.
Read the Persian introduction and view the published pages
View the journal issue on the Public Law School Telegram channel