Despite being marginalized by Iran’s oppressive regime for the last four decades, Iranian women have emerged as the vanguard of the fight against the mullahs’ rule. Their role was acknowledged and commended at the Free Iran 2023 World Summit of the Iranian Resistance held in France.
“Iranian women suffer under a system of discrimination,” said Governor Gary Locke, former U.S. Secretary of Commerce, adding that they have become “vulnerable to violence, harassment permeating every aspect of their lives.”
Despite the discriminatory landscape, Iranian women have been at the forefront of the struggle against the regime, evident in the current protests that began in September 2022.
These protests have been lauded for being “led by women and spearheaded by Iranian youth,” as former U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo pointed out. This movement, he said, is not just about reform – it’s about freedom.
This rise to leadership has not occurred overnight; it is the fruit of decades of relentless struggle by Iranian women who have made innumerable sacrifices.
Anthea Elizabeth Joy McIntyre, Former Head of UK Delegation at PACE, said it was “wonderful” to see women and young girls leading the protests, noting that women have been leading the organized Iranian opposition for the last 44 years.
Moreover, the Iranian Resistance movement, which is the antithesis of the regime’s misogynistic attitude, has a history of women in leadership roles. Women have been Secretary General of the MEK for over three decades. Maryam Rajavi, a Muslim woman, leads the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI). Rajavi’s Ten-Point Plan advocates equality for all Iranians regardless of gender, ethnicity, and religion, garnering support from thousands of parliamentarians and former world leaders.
“This latest round of protest has been led by the women of Iran rooted in over 40 years of organized resistance with women like Maryam Rajavi playing a leading role,” said the Former Canadian Prime Minister.
Rajavi, 30 years ago, prophesied the potential of Iranian women’s struggle against misogyny in a speech, stating that their yearning for freedom would eventually dismantle the oppressive regime.
Today, the spirit of Iranian women’s struggle for freedom lives on in the girls, women, and youth who are taking to the streets to reclaim their rights and destiny from the barbaric regime.
MEK Iran (follow us on Twitter and Facebook), Maryam Rajavi’s on her site, Twitter & Facebook, NCRI (Twitter & Facebook), and People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran – MEK IRAN – YouTu
