ABSTRACT
This chapter consists of five sections and an introduction. Sections two and three provide a review of the literature and an examination of Iranian data respectively. It is shown that the process of economic development in Iran during the 1980s and 1990s has been accompanied by de-feminisation and increased occupational sex segregation. In this respect the pattern of female employment in Iran diverges from the 'normal' or expected pattern. In section four a summary of current debates on female employment in Iran is presented. Section five focuses on the relationship between women's social position in Iran and the process of nationbuilding. Discussion in this part provides an alternative explanation for the changing pattern of female employment in Iran during the 1980s and 1990s.
