Born: 1882, Iran
Died: 30 July 1961
Country most active: Iran
Also known as: Persian: صدیقه دولتآبادی
Feminist activist and journalist Sediqeh Dowlatabadi was a pioneering figures in the Persian women’s movement who believed in the advancement of women through education. In 1917, she founded one of the first girls’ primary schools in modern Iran, but it was closed and Dowlatabadi was beaten and detained for three months after objections from religious conservatives.
To educate women through news and articles that addressed their issues and concerns, Dowlatabadi established the first women’s gazette in Isfahan in 1919, which published 57 issues until 1921. Like Dowlatabadi, the paper was progressive and outspoken about women’s rights; in her first editorial, Dowlatabadi declared the paper wanted to challenge the “backwardness and feeble-mindedness” of women’s rights in the city. She also founded the Women’s Association of Isfahan.
Dowlatabadi’s outspoken support for the unveiling of women led to threats against her life. In 1926 she attended the International Alliance of Women’s Conference in Paris and, after returning, wore European clothes and refused to wear a veil; she is believed to have been the first woman to do so, appearing in public in 1928 completely unveiled. When the Shah banned the veil in 1936, Dowlatabadi was a major supporter of the change, and worked with the new women’s committee Kanun-e Banuvan (Ladies Society) formed by the government and led by Princess Shams to unite women’s organisations and prepare women for unveiling.
When the Second Eastern Women’s Congress was arranged in Tehran in 1932, Dowlatabadi served as its secretary. By 1941, Dowlatabadi was Director of the Women’s Centre, though the organisation had little autonomy.