Propaganda and remembrance: gender, education, and "the women's awakening" of 1936

Chronicles the history of the controversial "Women's Awakening" project of the Reza Shah Pahlavi regime in Iran, 1936-1941, which was based on the notion that women should have opportunities for education & employment & be unveiled. The goal was not for women to achieve independence from men, but to better themselves so as to marry & create the type of secure family structure that would advance Iran as a modern, egalitarian culture. Focus here is on the role of the periodical press in this project, analyzing its treatment of the "woman question" & its function as a promoter of official propaganda regarding female identity & roles. Oral history data are drawn on to describe the recollections of some of the first women students of this period, documenting their struggles with cultural identity, family vs professional aspirations, & the presence of male guardians in their lives. K. Hyatt Stewart