This collection explores a wide range of issues surrounding women s employment in Iran, tracing it s evolution during the past five decades. Contributors address the influence of globlalization, the presence of an informal sector, and the accelerating trend in the size and diversity of the female workforce. Together these essays offer a nuanced and complex picture of Iranian women in the workplace, one that emphasizes the ways in which women have challenged Islamism to become agents of social transformation rather than victims of religious fundamentalism."

This text examines gender and the transformation of contemporary Iran. In particular it documents the changes in women's lives, challenging the idea that the revolution put back the clock for women and showing how they have now become agents of social change rather than victims.

Political and Socio-Economic Change in the Middle East and North Africa examines the shortcomings of the economic development policies in the region before and after the Arab uprisings. Many MENA countries tried to pursue neoliberal policies to boost economic growth. However, the outcome was associated with rising and disproportionate unemployment among the youth and women. The focal point of the book is the role of gender and the ways in which policies translate into economic outcomes. Particular attention is paid to women's entrepreneurship, especially as owners of small and medium...

Iran is estimated to have the third largest informal sector in the MENA region a major source of income for many low-income households whose numbers are growing as sanctions tighten. Gender and Entrepreneurship in Iran provides insight into the role of informal networks in employment creation in Iran from a gender perspective. Drawing upon theories of social capital, social network, and the postcolonial feminist critique of mainstream development, this analysis sheds light on the ways in which poverty and unemployment may be tackled.