International Women's Day: Women, resistance, liberty

©flikr - International Conference-Women Force for Change-Free Iran 2025 - 22 Feb 2025 Ali Bagheri, Ph.D. President of the International Freedom of Speech Alliance

Every year, International Women’s Day serves as a moment to reflect on the future we must strive for—one that ensures human liberation and a better world. On this occasion, on 8 March, the Iranian resistance has called for a major rally in the United States to highlight the crucial role of women in driving change. Throughout history, technological advancements have gradually alleviated human suffering. Yet, when we examine the status of women today, we find that, at its core, society remains deeply misogynistic. This reality is particularly evident in the Middle East, where Iranian women’s protests have become a powerful symbol of defiance. These protests reached a turning point during the nationwide uprisings of 2022, sparked by the tragic death of Mahsa Amini, who was killed for defying the compulsory hijab, writes Ali Bagheri, IFSA.

Women in political leadership

For those unfamiliar with Iran’s contemporary history, the eruption of women’s anger may seem spontaneous. However, it is anything but. For decades, the primary and most organized resistance movement against the clerical regime—the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK)—has been led by women. As the central force within the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), this movement has been a pioneer in advocating for gender equality and promoting women in political leadership.

Maryam Rajavi, the NCRI’s president-elect, has proposed a 12-point plan for women's rights in a free Iran, which received widespread endorsement from 650 prominent women leaders worldwide. This support was evident during a conference in Paris on the occasion of International Women’s Day, where distinguished figures such as Michèle Alliot‐Marie, former French Minister of State; Rosalía Arteaga Serrano, former President of Ecuador; Anneli Jäätteenmäki, former Prime Minister of Finland; Ingrid Betancourt, former Colombian Senator; Dominique Attias, Chair of the European Lawyers Foundation; and Kathleen Depoorter, Belgian Member of Parliament, highlighted the undeniable role of Iranian women in the resistance and in organizing protests.

Together, these influential women sent a clear and unified message: Women, Resistance, Freedom—a call to further the struggle of Iranian women in their fight to overthrow the mullahs’ regime.

A unique experience of women in the resistance of Iran

When it comes to violations of women's rights, nowhere is this more evident than in Iran, where women endure the ruthless oppression of a religious dictatorship. Their presence, leadership, and decisive role in the fight against religious tyranny are essential to the regime’s downfall.

Forty years ago, a groundbreaking transformation took place within the PMOI/MEK, placing women at the forefront of leadership—an act that directly defied Khomeini’s misogynistic ideology. This major cultural shift unleashed immense energy among both men and women in the Iranian Resistance, strengthening the battle to overthrow religious fascism.

Over the decades, these women have become an enduring historical role model for Iranian women, demonstrating unwavering resilience. They have fought on the front lines of the National Liberation Army of Iran, endured torture and imprisonment, and stood firm in the face of bombardments, armored assaults. Despite successive displacements and the pain of leaving their homes and loved ones, they have remained steadfast.

Thus, today, we are not speaking of a hypothesis or mere theory. The struggle of Iran’s pioneering women is a lived experience—one forged through decades of revolutionary and liberating resistance.

Women, force for change

In such circumstances, the belief in women's leadership has become deeply rooted in the Iranian resistance. Nearly 30 years ago, Mrs. Maryam Rajavi articulated this ideology in a speech at a gathering of Iranians in Earl’s Court, London.

"Humanity can only rid itself of vile reactionary and fundamentalist forces when women take on their leading role in this global campaign," she declared. She further emphasized, "No matter how much humiliation, oppression, repression, torture, and slaughter you inflict upon Iranian women, it will be by the hands of these conscious, free, and liberated women that your reign of injustice will be dismantled everywhere."

What was once a bold and unconventional vision is now an undeniable truth in our time.

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