Iranian Women Dress Up As Men In Order To Attend Soccer Match

Among the crowd that watched Persepolis top Sepidrood Rasht, 3-0, in Tehran last week was a group of six female fans who disguised themselves as men in order to get into Azadi Stadium.

Women have been banned from most public sporting events in Iran since shortly after the 1979 Revolution. As recently as March of this year, dozens of women and girls, including those pretending to be men, attempted to get into Azadi Stadium but were detained by police or turned away by security guards at gates.

The woman who posted the video has shared other pictures from inside the stadium wearing a short wig and men’s clothes at different games on her Instagram account, which is primarily dedicated to her Persepolis fandom. According to the BBC, she gave an interview in Iran explaining, “I Google for different make-up [tutorials] and learn new ways and apply them to go to the stadium.”

Women have been admitted to specific Iranian sporting events, like certain international volleyball and basketball games, in the past—but were only allowed to sit limited, segregated sections.