A BIOGRAPHY OF DR. FARROUKHROU PARSAY: AN ADVOCATE FOR WOMEN'S RIGHTS AND EDUCATION IN IRAN

The history of women in Iran, their status in society, and their role in education was insignificant before the late 1800s. Only a very few and women who were members of the highest economic strata were able to break out of the mold in which society placed them. As the economic conditions in Iran began to change and trade with foreign countries expanded, so did the opportunities for women. A need for a larger, skilled work force provided the first impetus for women to enter into education and the work force. This economic expansion beginning in the 1890s and continuing until 1978 led to expanding educational opportunities for women. The women's role in modern education was initially nominal, but as wealth in Iran increased along with the driving efforts of a few select persons, so did the number of women in education. Once educated, the women became equipped to participate in the political process. By the late 1970s, although inequality still existed, women had been integrated into all levels of the political process, except kingship. The key feature of this study is the examination of these events in the form of a biography. The person chosen, Dr. Farroukhrou Parsay, represented the emergence of education and women. Throughout her life, she held positions at all levels of the educational system, from teacher to the Minister of Education in the Cabinet of Iran. She also retained positions in the women's movement, from the lowest grass-roots level to the president of several of the most prominent women's societies in Iran in the twentieth century. This study is unique because it documents information regarding the role of women in society and their education that has not been documented before. It draws on information gained through many interviews with persons who were actively involved in education and women's rights during Dr. Parsay's life. This study is a historical examination of the emergence of women and education in Iran from a perspective that has not before been documented: from a biography of Dr. Parsay, the first woman ever to achieve a Ministerial post in the Cabinet of Iran.