The Iran Wrestling Federation has taken the decision to establish annual salaries for female coaches ©UWW

The Iran Wrestling Federation (IWF) has taken the decision to establish annual salaries for female coaches as part of its continuing bid to develop a robust women’s wrestling programme within the country.

The salaries were awarded to traditional wrestling coaches Ferasat Mobtadi, Setarah Esmaeili and Maryam Sadat Ghadamgahi.

Additionally, the IWF awarded six female coaches gold coins in recognition of their hard work and dedication to wrestling in Iran.

During last week’s Takhti Cup in Iran’s capital Tehran, the IWF took time to reward Mobtadi, Esmaeili and Maryam Valizadeh in belt wrestling, and Ghadamgahi, Homeria Rajabzadeh and Sakineh Kazemi in grappling.

Kiomars Hashemi, President of the National Olympic Committee of the Islamic Republic of Iran, was in attendance for the ceremony along with the vice-president of women’s wrestling Maryam Monazami.

According to a report by the World Economic Forum, published in November 2015, women in Iran are nearly equal to men in access to healthcare and education, but wide rifts exist in other areas, such as job opportunities and equal pay. 

Ranking 145 countries around the world in health and schooling women, Iran obtained a score of 99 to 110 to indicate near gender equality.

But the report said the country’s political and economic gaps are huge and also projected that it would take 118 years for men and women to reach complete economic equality around the world at present rates of growth.

Iran ranked among the worst countries for overall gender equality, along with Yemen, Pakistan, Syria and Chad.

Omid Norouzi (right) was one of three male gold medal-winning wrestlers for Iran at London 2012
Omid Norouzi (right) was one of three male gold medal-winning wrestlers for Iran at London 2012 ©Getty Images

The UWW launched a new campaign in December 2014 to focus on development of women in wrestling across the globe.

The two-month "Super 8" campaign, named for the number of women ambassadors leading the worldwide initiative, began with a special presentation at the Olympic Museum in Lausanne on January 14, 2015 and ended on March 8, International Women's Day.

Wrestling has garnered more Olympic medals for Iran than any other sport, but they have all been won by men.

The country’s haul of 38 medals, eight golds, 13 silvers and 17 bronzes, is 22 more than second-ranked weightlifting.

Three of the gold medals were won at London 2012 where Hamid Sourian won the Greco Roman 55 kilograms competition, Omid Norouzi claimed the Greco Roman 60kg title and Ghasem Rezaei bagged top honours in the Greco Roman 96kg event.

All 60 of Iran’s Olympic medals have been won by men.