Breaking Barriers: How Karate is Empowering Iranian Girls and Women in a Changing Society

At the final whistle, three minutes later, the two opponents shook hands and embraced.

As the referee signaled the start of the match, two five-year-old Iranian girls squared off in an intensely observed karate bout before an engaged audience—illustrating the evolving perspective toward martial arts in the Islamic Republic in recent years.

The young competitors, dressed in immaculate white karategi with colored belts and protective headgear, maneuvered around each other on the tatami, the traditional floor covering used for Japanese martial arts practice.

Their techniques were precise and calculated, executing each kick and block with skill and restraint to the enthusiastic cheers of an exclusively female audience.

After three minutes, when the final whistle blew, the young opponents exchanged handshakes and embraced.

This match was part of an annual regional tournament in Tehran that gathered 230 participants of various ages, who lined up in formation before the competition commenced.

The fact that AFP received unusual permission to film and photograph a women's and girls' competition itself indicates greater official openness.

"This sport is anything but violent" because it "promotes discipline," explained Samaneh Parsa, a 44-year-old mother who has practiced karate for five years alongside her daughter Helma and son Ilya.

"I have observed its positive influence on children's behavior," she noted at a southern Tehran club, where AFP was granted rare access to the pre-match preparations.

For Parsa, karate serves as a method to "release emotions" and "bring serenity during stressful times," despite the sport being historically discouraged for women in Iran.

Following the 1979 Islamic Revolution, all martial arts were temporarily prohibited for women before being reinstated under stricter dress code regulations.

'Strong mindset'

As female participation in karate increases, the sport has become emblematic of Iran's evolving society, where a young, urban generation is quietly challenging traditional gender roles and social norms.

Recently, Iranian athlete Atousa Golshadnezhad secured another gold medal at the Islamic Solidarity Games held in Saudi Arabia.

In recent years, Iranian women have been pushing social boundaries more broadly—defying the Islamic Republic's strict regulations, including the mandatory dress code.

This trend has been particularly noticeable since September 2022, following the death in custody of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old Iranian Kurd who had been detained by morality police for allegedly violating dress code regulations.

Afshin Torkpour, head of Kyokushin-Ryu karate in Iran, has likewise observed a shift in recent years, with women increasingly engaging in sports that "were once considered violent."

Women practicing karate are now equally, and often more motivated, according to Torkpour, who notes they develop "a strong mindset."

Approximately 150,000 people practice karate across all genders in Iran, says Torkpour, who estimates the actual number could reach up to two million.

At the Asian Championships, the national junior women's under-21 team claimed 11 medals, including six golds.

In 2020, two Iranian karatekas participated in the Tokyo Olympics, though they did not secure medals.

For Azam Ahmadi, a woman in her thirties who has practiced karate since age 12, the sport teaches essential life lessons: "If you fall, you have to get back up, keep going, and never give up."

Mina Mahadi, vice-head of the women's Kyokushin-Ryu karate section in Iran, adds that it enables girls to "gain confidence" instead of "saying yes to anything."