March 8 is a celebration day of women’s struggles and achievements against gender and all other types of inequality.

We will never forget that women were the first social force in Iran that stand up against the newly established Islamic reactionary regime and took to the streets to protest of Khomeini’s reactionary remarks about the imposing of the hijab and were chanting; “We did not make a revolution to go backward.” They demanded for the women’s rights and freedom of the society. The fight against gender discrimination and the abolition of any inequality that was imposed by the most anti-women government, are on the agenda of Iranian women for more than forty years now. As women’s struggle against the status quo and male-controlled society intensified, the response of honorable patriarchs becomes more brutal along with the support of the ruling reactionary and male-controlled laws. The assassination of Mona Heydari in the name of “honor killing” was a warning to women who want to abolish the terrible values of a male-controlled society and Islamic government.

At the present time, women’s resistance and struggle in various forms is a turning point in the history of the people’s struggle against the Islamic Republic. In fact, women are at the frontline of the fight against any inequality in work, education, culture, factories, schools, universities, and all other places in the society. Women play a prominent role in the fight against any kind of cruelty and exploitation in the Iranian society. The symbolic movement of women which is well known as a “Street Revolution” at the global level, was nothing but the denial of the compulsory hijab. The active presence and participation of women in labor, teachers, students, retirees’ movements and also in the defense of civil and political freedoms is indisputable. The struggle of women against any discrimination and mistreatment such as compulsory hijab, ban on their participation in many sports, polygamy and child marriage, the right to be a judge, the right of abortion, the right to travel all other reactionary laws continues. A large proportion of political and civil prisoners are women which shows nothing but the reflection of their struggle against gender equality and demand for the fundamental changes in society. In summary, it is reasonably right to claim; the struggle of women for their rights today is tied to the overthrow of the Islamic Republic as a whole.

Although gender inequality is a universal matter and does not apply to just a specific class, but the working women, marginalized women, and women who are the heads of their households are subject to multiple oppression. In fact, the struggle of women against discrimination and inequality is the concern of all women in the society since they continuously experience gender oppression. These marginalized women are deprived of basic living facilities and lack employment and health insurance. Factory is also an additional task for women. With the onset of the capitalist and the Covid crisis, working women were at the forefront of unemployment. Prior to the crisis, they did not even have equal status and pay in most positions. In this regard, we can point out to the unemployment of 70% of working women in Iran due to the Covid 19 crisis, who did not have any forms of support anyway.

Capitalism, religion, and male-controlled society are the three main pillars of subordination and oppression of women in the Islamic Republic that has its own characteristics. Therefore, the liberation of women requires a complicated and multidimensional struggle in all grounds, especially in the area of criticizing the traditional culture of the male-controlled society which the capitalist system has produced and reproducing it openly or in a covered fashion. The situation of women at the international level also reflects the fact that the women rights achievements in the advanced capitalist countries are as a result   very long struggle and determinations. Only the Corona crisis in the past two years has left many women unemployed, or into the unemployment reserve army, child and patient cares, and homelessness which means this pandemic crisis have forced women even at more substandard level. Consequently, it is fair to claim that; the universal and fundamental liberation of women, is strongly tied to the liberation of society as whole. Today, the participation of freedom-loving and democratic men in the struggle of women against all the values of a male-controlled society to create a humanistic, free, and equal society that women are not honor-of-nobody anymore is a necessary and crucial.

We, the left and democratic societies sincerely and strongly support the struggle of Iranian women against gender inequalities and their efforts to establish an independent women’s organization to end class, political, cultural, ethnic, and racial oppression. We are also strongly support the struggle of Afghan women against gender discrimination that are imposed by the Taliban regime on Afghanistan society especially women. Taliban, is the regime that came to power again by world and regional powers to serve their interest and follow their agenda. 

Along with women, we will fight to eliminate all types of inequalities in all over the Iranian society. We have confidence that our common struggles will liberate our land and people from Islamic republic regime and will establishes a free society without any inequalities

Participating Organizations in Alphabetical Order:

1 Alliance of Iranian democratic forces – Switzerland

2. Association of Iranian political refugees Gutenberg – Sweden

3. Association for the defense of political and ideological prisoners in Iran-Paris

4. Socialists Society – Sweden

5. Socialist Alternative – London

6. Supporters of Park Laleh Mothers – Stockholm

7. Group of social-political activists and refugees- Gutenberg – Sweden

8. Council against Islamic Republic – Khavaran Shout

9. Council of Solidarity with Rojava – Stockholm

10. Solidarity with the struggles of Iranian people council – London

11. Council of Solidarity with workers alternative in Iran

12. Federation of Euro-press, Belgium

13. Forum of the Iranian democrats and socialists in Hanover, Germany

14. The center to support of the struggles of Iranian people – Vienna

15. Iranian political refugees center – Berlin

16. Forum for critique and dialogues- Los Angeles

17. Solidarity with Iranian Workers-Canada

18. Solidarity with Iranian Workers- Gutenberg – Sweden

19. Solidarity committee with the struggles of Workers in Iran – Frankfurt

20. Solidarity committee for human rights in Iran- Calgary- Canada

21. Solidarity committee with the struggles of Iranian people – Switzerland

22. Defense committee of political prisoners in Iran – Berlin

23. Solidarity for human rights in Iran- Norway

24. Solidarity with Iranian Workers- Sweden

25.  Solidarity committee with the struggles of Iranian people – Frankfurt

26. Solidarity with Iranian Workers movement- Australia

27.  Solidarity center with Iranian Workers movement – Western of Germany

28. Solidarity center with the struggles of Iranian people – Switzerland

29. Socialist Solidarity with Iranian Workers – France