Discussing the Current State of Women In Iran
By: Emely Cespedes
Equal gender rights in Iran has been a topic of discussion and conflict for decades. In many instances, the lives of millions of Iranian women have been dictated by patriarchal society and the Islamic Republic. This has varied arguably, one way being through the restrictment on the clothing women can wear and how much of their body is exposed to others. Nonetheless, it is clear that more recently, the problem has inevitably worsened. Women are becoming more powerless in the country as they are losing their basic human rights. This is mainly due to the current political state of their government and views of law enforcers in the country. Law enforcers, in particular, are daily oppressors of women in Iran; sadly, these acts of oppression have become more evident and serious. Through this system, Masha Amini, a 22-year-old Iranian who was visiting Tehran was detained and murdered by Iran’s mortality police while in police custody (Moaveni). She was detained due to the improper wearing of her hijab, as not wearing a hijab is against the law in Iran. This unjust act has been regarded as the last straw as it brought civil unrest into the country; the Iranian government falsely depicted Masha Amini’s death as a heart attack to the public (Kapp). Ever since this act of injustice, women and their supporters have decided to demonstrate against the government and its constant growing oppression of women in approximately 80 cities (UN Women). Many Iranian women have chosen to speak out against their fears of simply being a woman in the current climate of equality in their country.
Moreover, the crude treatment of Iranian women has been brought to light via social media, where millions have expressed their sorrow and anger towards the death of Masha Amini. This has helped the movement in support of equal rights to Iranian Women quickly spread overseas, helping the growth in support of the movement. Along with the multiple protests occurring, there have been instances of brutal fatalities of protestors by the Iranian government. Iranian women and supporters of their rights are risking their lives to advocate for a cause that is right and just: the freedom of women in Iran. Nonetheless, one can only applaud and help support these protests. The protestors are standing up to injustices in hopes of one day bringing gender equality into the country of Iran. Iranian women are human beings that deserve equal rights; they deserve to live a life free of fear.
Sources:
Council on Foreign Relations. “Women This Week: Protests in Iran Demand End to Decades of Women's Oppression.”
https://www.cfr.org/blog/women-week-protests-iran-demand-end-decades-womens-oppression.
Moaveni, Azadeh. “'It's like a War out There.' Iran's Women Haven't Been This Angry in a Generation.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 7 Oct. 2022,
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/10/07/opinion/iran-women-protests.html.
Office of the President. “Iran's Violent Oppression of Women and Protesters Underscores That Women's Rights Are Human Rights.”
https://www.washington.edu/president/2022/10/07/iran-protests/.
UN Women – Headquarters. “UN Women Statement on Women's Rights in Iran.” 27 Sep. 2022, https://www.unwomen.org/en/news-stories/statement/2022/09/un-women-statement-on-w omens-rights-in-iran.
Image Source:
https://www.thenation.com/article/world/iran-women-uprising/