On the occasion of November 25th, the International Day for the Elimination of violence against women!  

Womenʼs uprising against compulsory hijab, the most central state-organized violence in Iran!

This year, as we are preparing for the struggles of the International Day to fight violence against Women, the glorious struggles of women in Iran against the compulsory hijab, the most central form of state-organized violence against women is in its 8^th week.

We have left a year behind through which women all over the world have been collectively and individually fighting for their most basic rights. They have been in various ways confronting with rape, beating, murder, "honour" killing, forced pregnancy, sexual harassment, forced marriage, etc. In fact, they have been ceaselessly struggling against violence. As much as violence against women has become global, womenʼs resistance and struggle has also taken on wider global dimensions.

On the other side of the world, in Afghanistan, women are fighting against the brutal violence of the ‘Islamic Emirate of the Taliban’. Since the Taliban came to power, the women of Afghanistan are the only section that has never stopped fighting, and they have stood firm in front of an extremely misogynistic rule, and despite many dangers and sacrifices, they continue their way to liberate themselves from violence and oppression.

In Iran, the flames of the womenʼs rebellion against the mandatory hijab, which began after the brutal murder of Zhina (Mahsa) Amini on 17^th September 2022, quickly spread throughout the country. The uprising that the leading role of women has made it unique and despite the brutal suppression of the Islamic regime, it has been continuing and developing until today.

The revolutionary uprising of women all through the country against the mandatory hijab has had many dimensions:

1- A regime that declared mandatory hijab as its symbol from the beginning and by using force and anti-women laws not only intended to control the women’s body but also tried to gain the support of men, has suffered an irreparable defeat.

2-This uprising has inflicted an important blow to the regime that tried ceaselessly to preserve and deepen anti-women tradition and by this way brought violence against women into every home.

3- This uprising inflicted an effective blow to the regime that during the last forty-three years, one of its most important areas of propaganda and agitation was the spread of patriarchal culture among the people, specifically men.

4- This uprising paved the way for the intellectual and social transformation in the society so that men to turn away the special privileges that was given to them by the ruling system in order to help in controlling and suppressing women. 

5- This uprising united all the oppressed nationalities to fight against anti-women rule with the slogan of "Woman, Life, Freedom".

6- At the same time, the women’s uprising in Iran has taken a leading role in the global womenʼs movement against violence and oppression, which is one of the pillars of a system that its foundation is on global oppression and exploitation.

In fact, the womenʼs uprising against the mandatory hijab has become the key link in the fight against all misogynistic social relations. The struggles in which a great number of women have been fighting persistently to gain the ownership of their bodies and in this way tens of women so far have lost their lives in just the last few weeks; in the struggles that have become a decisive war against the regime.

The womenʼs uprising with such a broad and inspiring dimension promises a different future, a future that will be marked by the revolutionary overthrow of the Islamic regime. A revolution in which women are at the forefront. A revolution that putting an end to any form of violence against women is on its agenda. A revolution that by relying on advanced women, paves the way for more radical breaks from the patriarchal and violent culture in the society.

Undoubtedly, the global struggle of women against various forms of violence has an important place in advancing the struggle to eliminate gender oppression. But the brave and glorious struggles of women in Iran revealed the fact that fighting against the patriarchal capitalist system, which is the main factor in the production and reproduction of violence against women, is the real solution.

8 March Womenʼs Organisation (Iran-Afghanistan)

November 20, 2022