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.

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.

The contributions to this collection examine the shortcomings of the economic development policies in the MENA region before and after the Arab Spring, with particular attention to the role of gender and the ways in which policies translate into economic outcomes.