Locating Millennial Feminism Beyond the Western Context: The Iranian Case

Abstract

This article aims to contribute towards an understanding of the notion of feminism among young Iranians born after the Iranian revolution, and specifically in the 1990s. Building on an in-depth analysis of the literature and narrative individual interviews with young women and men belonging to the so-called Millennial generation, the paper aspires to shed light on how these youths interpret the feminist ideology today in connection with the history of the women's movement in the country. As the perceived lack of interest in feminism among the Millennials is a subject of continued debate in the international sociological literature, the paper captures a snapshot of the various definitions of feminism from the perspective of Tehran's middle-class youths. Indeed, it unravels some of the complexities of identifying with feminism for youths born and raised in the 1990s, such as the difficulty in accepting the feminist label, the criticisms made to the movement and the persisting differences between women and men.

Keywords

• activism
• feminism
• iran
• millennials
• women
• youths