Author Mina Saadadi

Shahrzad News: The very first issue of Shirzanan went online at the beginning of May this year. Shirzanan literally means “lion women” and refers to strong women who dare to undertake difficult challenges and responsibilities, including economic ones. Professional sports, especially for women in Iran, are only accessible to members of the middle class who can afford to participate.

Why Shirzanan? Solmaz Sharif, the editor-in-chief of Shirzanan, explains: “In Iran today, women who compete professionally in sports face lots of barriers. Women athletes especially have to contend with a lack of resources. Most of these women have to finance their sporting careers themselves in order to compete at this level and to survive. It takes a lot to reach the top and to remain there. The name Shirzanan therefore is used as a metaphor.”

Shirzanan is a new women’s publication that aims to fill a gap: the information gap about female athletes in the media. Because of sex segregation in public places in Iran, male journalists do not have access to female sports and competitions, and, as a result, women’s events are not covered. Shirzanan was created to highlight the important presence of female athletes in the world of professional sports.

As a journalist, Solmaz Sharif has covered women’s sports for a variety of Iranian media. The idea of starting a magazine about women and sports was born five years ago, but up until now the plan Sharif had written had not been approved by the authorities. The Internet provided the opportunity to implement the initial idea. Solmaz Sharif, who recently immigrated to the United States, runs the magazine and works with four other journalists on a weekly edition. Shirzanan’s content includes news reports, photo reportage, and also the highlights of news in the world of women’s sports.

By providing news and information on Iranian female athletes, Shirzanan strives to make visible the important contribution that women are making to the world of sports. Solmaz Sharif emphasises: “Shirzanan is not a feminist publication, but we do cover the lives of female athletes who are fighting against all odds.”

* This text is based on an interview in Frasi by Shahzrad News with Solmaz Sharif. Read this interview in Farsi here.