In Iran, women mirror a society in progress. More so than men, they are the first to be concerned by the limitations imposed upon them by the Shariah Law that was introduced by Ayatollah Khomeini's revolution 25 years ago. The current political struggle between reformists and conservatives will determine women's place in Iranian society.

From the chador to the scarf, and from conservative provinces to the liberal suburbs of Tehran, one feels that all Iranian women do not share the same opinions. However, at home the majority of women under 40 are claiming a more liberal lifestyle.

In Qom, a female Ayatollah, the only one in Iran, lectures to young ladies in an austere library. The female Islamic school in Mashhad gathers students from throughout the Muslim world. In Tehran University, women are a majority in all disciplines, creating their independence as an all-male faculty instructs them.

The demand for divorce is rising to unprecedented rates, and women are now increasingly inclined to remain single until they have found a position in the workplace. Yet the great sisters of the regime are watching and the female police academy remains proud and protective of the Islamic revolution. Night patrols and moral guidance remain a nightmare for the teenagers.

October 2004. This story is part of the project The Women of the Axis. There are series on women across Afghanistan, Iran and Iraq. Related articles published in Paris-Match by Senior Reporter Caroline Mangez are available upon request.

Part of series on WOMEN OF THE AXIS, across Afghanistan, Iran and Iraq.