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An Iranian woman photojournalist managed to cover a men’s football match in the country and is being hailed for how she managed to do it. Her act is being praised because in conservative Iran, women are banned from entering any stadium where a sport is being played by the opposite gender. To escape censure, Parisa Pourtaherian took photos of a match from the terrace of a building located near the stadium. Now photos of her with a giant lens atop the building are going viral on Instagram and Twitter.
In a recently held football match during the top national league tournament, Pourtaherian went to the roof of a building near the Vatani Stadium in Qaemshahr to get the perfect shots for her photo agency. She not only managed to do her job brilliantly, but defied the sexist ban without breaking it. People on social media lauded Pourtaherian and offered her support for her resilience and courage.
Iranian women journalists aren’t allowed to cover men’s football inside the statium. But Parisa Pourtaherian has reportedly become first woman photographer to cover the top national league, from the top of a neaby roof! pic.twitter.com/Y8SSCcziYx
— Ali Noorani (@ali_noorani_teh) August 5, 2018
1/ In #Iran, #journalists & photographers aren’t allowed in #football stadiums during the opposite sex’s games. But you can’t keep a good woman down, and Parisa Pourtaherian wasn’t going to let the ban stop her.
Points for ingenuity. pic.twitter.com/EPUO3EVnxg
— Kian Sharifi (@KianSharifi) August 5, 2018
The photographer is an alumnus of the University of Tehran and has been associated with FCkia Academy and I.R Iran Volleyball Federation as a photographer. Due to the distance from the stadium, Pourtaherian only covered the first-half of the match, but the photos shared on Instagram won thousands of hearts worldwide.
YOU’RE DOING AMAZING, SWEETHEART. ✨👯♀️ https://t.co/p7AnnBUK4i
— a. (@adrianaesfeliz) August 7, 2018
Legend https://t.co/DpMzVLoQx1
— Nah this ain’t it chief (@jasonseife) August 7, 2018
Commitment. Bravery. Ingenuity. Extremely high badass factor here. And a powerful statement about the importance and need for @openStadiums…NOW. Amplify Parisa’s power. Follow her on Instagram (link in the thread). Thank you for sharing this, @KianSharifi. https://t.co/wI1RaNoRr0
— Anthony DiCicco (@DiCiccoMethod) August 6, 2018
As sad as this situation is, it’s so cool to see someone do exactly what others said they couldn’t do. #LoveWhatYouDo https://t.co/LaPeg7Z3yz
— Brad Young (@bradyoungphoto) August 7, 2018
Revolution is going against the injustice of the establishment. Asking for reiterating patriarchal norms is not equality or feminism or revolution. This lady is an inspiration! Is Iran going to close rooftops to women now? ☺️ https://t.co/jd9YhHKrRf
— MasalaNoodles (@MasalaNoodles) August 7, 2018
Still looking for a woman who exudes power in the face of an implacable, ubiquitous, adversary? https://t.co/rF7cwKKaB2
— परummपरaah! (@paritoshZero) August 7, 2018
Remember Offside? That was 12 years ago. Nothing has changed in Iran! https://t.co/bEGmPGb8zK
— Aseem Chhabra (@chhabs) August 6, 2018
Look at the determination in Parisa Pourtaherian’s eyes! This is the epitlome of a photographer’s drive to “get the shot,” no matter what. https://t.co/sXyiQ0tnG3
— Blinded by Headset (@510home) August 6, 2018
When your #rights are denied, the only solution is to go big! #Iran #womenrights #photography #journalists #football #welldone https://t.co/ifyXFV7QHy
— Sophie Falsini (@SofyFalsini) August 6, 2018
Mad respect for this woman. This is what Journalism is all about, you have to find a way to report stories. https://t.co/ur0VFT6VY0
— Ahsan Iftikhar Nagi (@ahsannagi) August 5, 2018
Football and volleyball are very popular in Iran and women have been known to impersonate men to enter stadiums. Recently, during FIFA World Cup 2018, female fans were allowed for the first time to enter to enter the Azadi stadium to watch the the telecast of Iran vs Spain game on a big screen. Although, they never got to witness the players playing in the stadium live, that’s the closest Iranian women got for the first time.
Although, the ban on women in stadiums was partially lifted in 2015 for a few beach volleyball games, women spectators were assigned a separate area from where they could watch the game.