Iran: Gender and Education, Politics and Economy Gender inequality is a problem that a large number of countries have faced, and many are still facing. Unequal treatment of the two genders can occur in contexts such as: sexual, social, private, professional, educational, etc. Some countries, more than others, appear to be stuck in a vicious circle in trying to achieve gender equality. Iran is a country that has had its ups and downs in the pursuit of gender equality. This article will discuss some of the problems that women in Iran have faced regarding education, political changes, and the economy. According to Snapshots of a Movement, the first school for girls in Iran was founded in 1837 in Urumia by American missionaries. Unfortunately at that time only Christian girls could participate. It was only from 1870 that Muslim girls were able to join. It was not until 1907 that Tehran, the capital of Iran, built the first primary schools for girls. These schools in Tehran were funded by women's NGOs. In 1918, the first Teacher Education College for girls was founded in the capital of Iran (Dolatshahi, 2006). Under the Pahlavi dynasty (1921-1979), education changed greatly in Iran. They believed that education could help bring about crucial changes (Hayati and Fattahi, 2005). In 1936, Tehran University admitted both males and females. In 1978, one third of students attending Iranian universities were women (Esfandiari). In 1979, sexual segregation occurred in Iranian schools as one of the many changes due to the Islamic Revolution. Girls were now forced to wear hijab, even to school. In 1980, Iranian universities and some high schools were temporarily closed to make changes. They ended up being… half paper… the families had died in the war. Other families needed both mothers and fathers to work to survive. To survive, political changes had to be made. Protests and pressure have led to the reversal of many of the recently adopted restrictive laws. Bans have been lifted from several university fields now allowing women to pursue them. Even though the bans were lifted and the economy was better, women still had a harder time finding work than men. Iran is a country that has had ups and downs while seeking gender equality. They are not alone in this search. Women in many countries have faced gender inequality issues and for several countries it is still an open problem. If Iran can break out of the cycle of making progress toward gender equality and then backtracking, there is hope that it can become a leader in women's rights..