Sunday, March 8th marked International Women’s Day, with global rallies and calls for gender equality and the protection of women’s rights. This occasion is important for women everywhere, particularly the brave women in Iran who are on the front lines of the fight against misogyny and fundamentalism. The Organization of Iranian-American Communities (OIAC) recognizes the need to protect and promote the rights of women everywhere, and the work that remains to be done to achieve true equality for women in Iran. We celebrate the lives and the work of Iranian heroines who continue their struggle against a misogynistic theocracy in Iran.
The Iranian regime continues to promote misogyny on an institutional level, as evidenced by its policies which promote vigilante acts of terror against women, and the prevalent discrimination and gender apartheid which exists in Iran. In 2014, Iran witnesses numerous acid attacks by government backed vigilantes which targeted women who were targeted for their style of hair or dress. These attacks showed the true nature of the Iranian regime in its war against women.
According to the report by the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights on Iran, Ahmad Shaheed, some 66 per cent of Iranian women have reportedly experienced domestic violence, yet the governmental policies and laws in regards to this problem do little to address this issue or provide support for women. The report also states, ‘Some draft laws…markedly compound discrimination against women by further eroding their protection from forced marriage and rights to education, work and equal wages.” The report identifies ongoing systematic shortcomings in the Iranian regime with respect to the rights, freedoms and opportunities of women.
Yet through this hardship the remains steadfast resistance by the brave heroines in Iran, and on International Women’s Day we honor their ongoing struggle for equality and freedom. This includes female political prisoners who remain steadfast in their principles, to the brave teachers who fight for the rights and education of young girls, to the young female students in Universities who voice their opposition to the regime. OIAC knows that the Iranian women represent the biggest threat to the misogynistic regime in Tehran, and we mark this historic day by saluting the brave heroines of Iran.
