An analysis of the attitudes of Shiraz University students toward women’s social and political rights and the extent to which these attitudes align with the principles of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Citizenship rights constitute a foundational concept in modern political and social thought, defining the legal, normative, and moral relationship between individuals and the state. These rights encompass civil, social, and political dimensions and are essential for ensuring equality, justice, human dignity, and democratic participation. Among these dimensions, women’s social and political rights represent a particularly contested and dynamic field, especially in societies where constitutional frameworks formally recognize equality while social practices and institutional arrangements continue to generate gender-based inequalities. In contemporary Iran, the issue of women’s citizenship rights has gained renewed importance due to demographic change, expanding access to higher education, increasing political awareness among youth, and the growing visibility of gender-related social demands.

The Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Iran contains multiple principles emphasizing justice, equality before the law, social participation, and the protection of human dignity. These principles provide a normative framework that can potentially support women’s social and political rights. However, the degree to which constitutional provisions align with the attitudes, expectations, and lived experiences of younger generations remains an open empirical question. University students, as one of the most educated and socially conscious groups in society, play a critical role in shaping future political culture and civic engagement. Their attitudes toward women’s rights not only reflect broader social transformations but also signal possible tensions between constitutional ideals and social realities.

This study aims to analyze the attitudes of Shiraz University students toward women’s social and political rights and to assess the extent to which these attitudes correspond with the principles of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Iran. The research adopts a survey-analytical approach and is grounded in an interdisciplinary theoretical framework drawing on citizenship theory, feminist political thought, and constitutional studies. By focusing on a large public university with a diverse student population, the study seeks to provide an empirically grounded understanding of how constitutional norms are perceived and evaluated by academic youth.

The statistical population of the study consists of students enrolled at Shiraz University during the period under review. Using Cochran’s formula and a multi-stage stratified random sampling method, a sample of 380 students was selected to ensure representation across faculties, academic levels, fields of study, and gender. This sampling strategy enhances the analytical robustness of the findings and allows for meaningful comparison across social and educational subgroups.

Data were collected through a researcher-designed questionnaire developed on the basis of relevant theoretical literature, prior empirical studies, and an examination of constitutional principles related to women’s rights. The questionnaire consisted of two main sections. The first section included demographic variables such as age, gender, marital status, academic level, field of study, employment status, and prior social or political activity. The second section measured students’ attitudes toward women’s social and political rights. Social rights included the right to education, equal access to employment opportunities, social security, health and safety, financial independence, and recognition of women as autonomous individuals. Political rights included participation in elections, access to managerial and high-level political positions, the right to peaceful civil protest, and the formation of women’s political parties and civil associations. Responses were measured using a five-point Likert scale ranging from strong agreement to strong disagreement.

Content validity of the questionnaire was confirmed through expert review by scholars in political science, sociology, and law. Reliability analysis using Cronbach’s alpha produced a coefficient of 0.911, indicating a high level of internal consistency. Data analysis was conducted using SPSS software and involved both descriptive and inferential statistical techniques. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize demographic characteristics and overall attitudinal trends, while inferential analyses included the Kolmogorov–Smirnov test, Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient, independent-samples t-tests, analysis of variance, and regression analysis.

The findings indicate that Shiraz University students hold strongly positive attitudes toward women’s social rights. The highest levels of agreement were observed for the right to education, equal access to educational and employment opportunities, social security, health and safety, financial independence, and the recognition of women as independent individuals. These results suggest a broad consensus among students regarding the importance of social equality and gender justice. Many of these demands correspond with constitutional principles related to education, welfare, employment, and human dignity. However, despite this formal correspondence, students perceived significant shortcomings in practical implementation, highlighting a persistent gap between constitutional recognition and lived experience.

In the political domain, students also expressed strong support for women’s political rights, particularly access to managerial and high-level political positions, the right to peaceful civil protest in cases of discrimination, and the formation of women-centered political and civil organizations. These findings reflect an understanding of political participation as a core component of substantive citizenship. Nevertheless, compared to the social sphere, the perceived alignment between political demands and constitutional principles was weaker. Although the Constitution provides a general framework for political participation and freedom of association, students viewed these provisions as insufficiently explicit or constrained by restrictive interpretations that limit women’s effective political participation.

Correlation analysis revealed statistically significant but relatively weak relationships between students’ attitudes toward women’s rights and constitutional principles in both social and political dimensions. These findings suggest that while the Constitution contains conceptual capacities to support women’s citizenship rights, a substantial portion of students’ expectations extends beyond explicit constitutional provisions or encounters obstacles in interpretation and enforcement. In particular, demands related to equal access to political power and institutionalized mechanisms for women’s collective political action appear to challenge existing legal and institutional arrangements.

Overall, the study demonstrates that Shiraz University students represent a generation with equality-oriented and rights-based views regarding women’s social and political participation. Their attitudes reflect broader generational shifts shaped by higher education, exposure to global human rights discourses, and recent social developments within Iranian society. At the same time, the findings underscore the limitations of relying solely on constitutional texts to achieve substantive gender equality. Bridging the gap between constitutional ideals and social realities requires clearer legal interpretations, effective policy implementation, institutional accountability, and cultural change. Strengthening civic education and participatory spaces within universities can play a key role in advancing women’s citizenship rights and enhancing the practical realization of constitutional principles in Iran.