Around the world, millions upon millions of women face discrimination, violence, oppression and restrictions to freely determine their lives and to fully participate in society.
This is nowhere more true than in the Islamic Republic of Iran – a regime of gender apartheid and systematic Islamic violence against women.
Gender apartheid means that women are banned from a wide range of social, economic and political activities. They have to adhere to a strict dress code and the Islamic veil is compulsory. Women are separated from men in buses, universities and many public places. Husbands, fathers or other male relatives are their guardians and have control over their lives, at home and outside. Women cannot travel, even within the country, without permission from their male guardians. They have no right to divorce or custody of their children. The list is endless.
The people of Iran have been fighting against this gender apartheid on a daily basis ever since the Islamic Republic was founded 39 years ago.
This fight against the systematic violence against women takes many forms: the organised fight to let women into football stadiums; women riding bicycles despite being forbidden to do so; fighting gender segregation in universities and on public transport; holding mixed parties; exercising their right to freedom of expression on social media, including dancing, singing, producing artworks and removing the hijab; actively participating in social events and organisations; taking an active part in workers’ protests and strikes; leading social protests; removing the hijab in public, such as by ‘the Girls of Revolution Street’; and last, but not least, the powerful campaigns internationally by exiled Iranian women against political Islam and Sharia laws, against compulsory veiling, for the banning of the hijab for children and against the vile punishment of stoning.
Women in Iran risk their lives day in and day out to say no to gender apartheid. Their inspirational fight for freedom has brought hope for a better future to the lives of many.
#WPIranNews #FightForLife #GenderApartheid
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