What We Need to Know about the Women’s Rights Movement happening in Iran

The streets of Iran have been trembled by the Iranian Women Marching up and down the streets in the fight for their freedom. You may have heard of the recent news that has sparked about the ongoing protests happening in Iran. Women risking their lives to fight for women’s rights. As many know, Iranian women’s rights are severely restricted, and they get little to no self-expression. In this article, we will discuss what these women are fighting for and ways we can help as outsiders. 

            The first thing we must know is that this fight is not new. Women in Iran have always been extremely suppressed within their country. Iranian feminist has been in this civil rights movement for nearly 44 years. After Islamic forces declared victory in 1979 in the revolution that overthrew the Shah, thousands of Iranian women began their protest by marching the streets of Tehran. According to Minoo Jalali, a woman who fled Iran in the ’80s states “They were chanting, ‘we didn’t have a revolution to go backwards’” (CBC radio). For 44 years Iranian women have been fighting for the right to freedom. They have faced violent punishments for their advocacy but continue to prosper in hopes of equality. 

One of the biggest suppressions these women face is the enforcement of headscarves within their country. Women who fail to do this are looked down upon and face fines or imprisonment. Iranian women started off marching but as time moved forward, they found different ways to fight against their suppression. According to The New Yorker author Robin Wright in her article “Iran’s Protests Are the First Counter-Revolution Led by Women”, she states “last week from Karaj, schoolgirls gathered in front of a male official, ripped off their hijabs, and shouted, in unison, “Get lost.” They tossed empty water bottles as he fled through the school gates” (Wright). Now that the media is so accessible, countless videos made by Iranian women have become viral. Turning the videos into advocacy for the movement. Women have protested this enforcement by cutting their hair during rallies, removing their Hijabs in public, and standing up to the government.  Unfortunately, as the fight grew stronger in Iran, so did the Iranian security forces. 

On September 16th, 2022, twenty-two-year-old Mahsa Amini was killed in Iranian police custody after being arrested for hijabi violation laws. Her horrifying and devastating death birthed a different tone to the following protests and rallies, anger, and heartbreak. These peaceful protests have displayed the bravery of these Iranian women. They want justice for Mahsa and the other women who have died or been wrongfully imprisoned for choosing freedom. Mono Tajali from the Washington Post writes in her article “Iranian women have been protesting mandatory hijab for decades”, “These protests may not force major concessions; escalating government violence and repression may shut them down or force them to change form. But they reveal that Iranian women’s continuing protests are closely tied up with broader movements for democracy and rule of law” (Tajali). These women show courage and risk their lives daily to fight for their rights, simply rights. They fight for freedom. They have faced pain and suffrage but will not give up until they receive equality within their country. Let’s look at some ways outsiders can help these Iranian women and keep the fight going.

Ways we can advocate for these suppressed women are petitions, donations, and being active in our own communities’ civil rights movements, like protests, rallies, and voting.  Iran is a fairly under-covered country when it comes to news media. An organization you can donate to that helps make sure these violations are reported is  CHRI. A human rights center that reports the truth and provides accurate information. Change.org offers a petition that urges foreign democratic powers to act and help these women. This petition is extremely easy to sign and can help Iranian women take a step forward in receiving justice. You can sign the petition here. 

As this civil rights movement gains attention in the media, we must recognize these women. They risk their lives by defying the government and fighting for their freedom in powerful yet peaceful ways. The Iranian women will not give up, and neither should we. We must find ways to help these women. Our voices matter.