In the last two decades and indeed after the Islamic Revolution, Iranian women as compared with the past have been changed into a new social force and have undertaken new roles and duties. The roles either have not been given to them or they have been given in a limited domain and/or they were unaware of them or reluctant towards those roles.
By using the method of participatory observation, this article intends to study the rate and method of presence of women in Hosseini mourning ceremony in Tehran [Mourning ceremony in memory of the Shiite Third Imam] and compare it with the past - in particular with pre-Islamic Revolution period. In fact it aims to respond to the question: due to changes in recent decades in the structure of Hosseini mourning, what kind of changes have been created in the role and position of women in mourning ceremonies? In the literature relating to Iranian women, the role of women in different social, economic and political realms have been dealt with. But despite the fact that the religious ceremonies in Iran have brought about basic participation, the issue has not received so much attention in scientific studies.
In fact, by comparing the presence of women in mourning ceremonies, the present article shows that in the past the participation of women in mourning ceremonies had been rather marginal, whereas today, the women have undertaken a more pivotal role. They also engage in new activities such as organizing, management, designing, planning and performing in mourning ceremonies and monitoring the method of mourning.