Women’s high-level political participation has taken major steps forward under conservative regimes in Turkey and Iran. Tajali argues that women’s groups and activists in each country have adapted their strategies to reflect their respective political contexts. In Turkey, women pressured the ruling Justice and Development Party into supporting head-scarved women in Parliament by drawing upon the anti-discriminatory language of CEDAW, to which Turkey is a signatory. Iran saw its first post-revolutionary female minister, largely due to the efforts of women framing their plight in pro-revolutionary, Islamic terms. In both cases, secular and conservative women united to advocate their common cause. They pragmatically drew upon the internal political and cultural resources of each country to achieve their objectives. This article would be of value to researchers interested in how the advancement of women’s rights has taken shape in different religious and political contexts.