Farahnaz Shiri

First female bus driver in Tehran



(Text from Why Democracy?) In the male dominated society of Iran, Farahnaz Shiri, the first female bus driver in Tehran, has made her own little society in her bus. In Iran there are different sections for men and women on public buses. Women should enter buses from the back door, which is separated from men’s entrance, and should sit or stay in a limited zone at the end of the buses which is separated from men’s zone. But in Mrs. Shiri’s bus everything is vice-versa. She is the governor and the only law maker of her own little society. In her bus, men must enter from the backdoor entrance and must sit or stay in the limited zone at the end of the bus. Mrs. Shiri is struggling to prove herself in this society and resisting a series of injustices that she faces as a woman in the Iranian society.

(Special Thanks to Sadaf Foroughi for making this film)

30-Oct-2008
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Mindset

by Iva (not verified) on

I recall similar story about 30+ years ago when newspaper article told of a woman truck driver (18 wheeler driver), the difficulties that woman faced on and off the road, etc. I guess that woman had it easy because she didn't have to deal with backward islamic laws, just backward islamic folks/mind-set, while today's women have to deal with both.


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Ludicrous

by Shahr Yar (not verified) on

Are we forgetting that less than 30 years ago, we had still had a king who gave our women the right to vote 2 years before American women fought for their suffrage? And that we already had women judges (ghazi) during that era?

Perhaps not. Perhaps this regime has suppressed our memories of who we are: the cradle of civilization, the founders of law and art, the originators of human rights.

Kudos to Khanum Shiri. She's making her stand where she can. So let's be mindful of how far off we are from the progress we had. And also remember we always rose to expel those who suppressed us throughout our long history.


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sad society

by sheyda (not verified) on

i grew up in the us for 18 yrs .in 2002 i moved to iran and lived there for 4 yrs .
i have never been so humiliated as a woman in my life as i was during those 4 yrs in iran ,
the problem is really with the mentality of the iranian men who basically have no respect for woman and and are interested in keeping woman in the qajar time mode.
this goes back to their own insecurity about their manhood. a real man is not afraid of social growth and justice for all kinds of people .
this is unfortunately a cultural issue that might not be solved with a regime change .it starts with the fathers in iran teaching their sons how to be a decent human being.


ghalam-doon

Another 1st Female Bus Driver?

by ghalam-doon on

A while back I saw a documentary about a woman bus driver in Tehran. The lady was a bit older and more cheerful. It seems to me they had focused on all the negative aspects of a female bus driver in Tehran. Female bus drivers are a rarity, even in the West and she definitely is a pioneer. So she could talk about the postive aspects of her job too. The fact that she has a paying  job with security. But she preferred to complain all the way to the end of the movie.  Most of us hate what we do for a living and think we could do better, but we do it anyway because we need to put the food on the table. And the sad faces of the female passengers as opposed to the cheerful faces of the male passenger? And the interviews in a supposedly closed society? I think this movie had an agenda.


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SO PROUD OF HER....

by Happy Boy (not verified) on

SHE AND WOMEN LIKE HER ARE THE REAL FIGHTERS IN IRAN....


faryarm

We had this over 100 years ago...

by faryarm on

One day soon ,we will have equality and justice in Iran.

The Mullahs have fought for so long to keep the following idea away from the average Iranian.

 

The world of humanity is possessed of two wings: the male and the female. So long as these two wings are not equivalent in strength, the bird will not fly. Until womankind reaches the same degree as man, until she enjoys the same arena of activity, extraordinary attainment for humanity will not be realized; humanity cannot wing its way to heights of real attainment. When the two wings . . . become equivalent in strength, enjoying the same prerogatives, the flight of man will be exceedingly lofty and extraordinary.6

Bahai Writings 


faryarm

Inaccurate Subtittles...

by faryarm on

A great powerful piece ...but the distasteful and inaccurate use of the F word to portray her anger at the fight does not add to this otherwise poignant day in the life of a heroic mother and pioneering bus driver.

faryar 

 

 


desi

The Rosa Parks of Iran!

by desi on

The Rosa Parks of Iran!  Her ungrateful son is a tool.


Maryam Hojjat

Shirzan!

by Maryam Hojjat on

 She is a role model for all women.


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Strange

by Rajab zadeh (not verified) on

A lost and confused extremest society.


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Hezar affarin

by Imperial Lion (not verified) on

Affarin bar in khanum. Vaghean ke damesh garm.


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Another post to make you speechless

by Iranian Reader (not verified) on

Imagine.

The ugliness. The violence. The ignorance. The grief. The courage.

And your kakoli son thinks your due respect is as a housewife.


Abarmard

Very touching

by Abarmard on

Great film. Hopefully our society will become equal in the minds of the citizens and force this kind of discriminations out of our lives.