Field Interview with Women's Rights Activists; We Are Not Afraid of the 'War on Hair', It Empowers Us

Exclusive interviews by Voice of America with several women's rights activists and analysts in Tehran, Isfahan, Rasht, Mashhad, and Karaj show that women protesting against compulsory hijab have become more enraged than afraid of the 'Noor Plan' maneuver. Following the new maneuver by the Islamic Republic known as the 'Noor Plan', which began simultaneously with a missile attack on Israel and is said by observers and civil activists to aim at creating 'terror and fear' among the people, especially women, Voice of America sought the opinions of several women activists inside Iran. A private tutor, who was still haunted by the violence of the morality police days after a brief detention, told Voice of America: 'I am not feeling well, but we must never retreat.' With a trembling voice, she continued: 'I am fighting with my hair and my body, not just for myself, but for all those killed and executed in the Woman, Life, Freedom movement, for the blood of Mahsa and Nika.' This women's rights activist, who has repeatedly faced warnings from 'agents and vigilantes' in recent months, responded to the question of what has changed in the methods of the Noor Plan agents: 'This time, it is men who attack you. I am severely afraid of a man who yells and behaves violently towards me; if it's a woman, I am not afraid, but I fear men's yelling.' Considering how much the women's struggle over the past two years has 'changed gender relations and increased respect from boys towards girls', she added that the fear of male violence and assault is still ingrained in most women 'like me' and that 'their new method of creating terror and fear is to provoke this type of fear in the social body.' A civil rights educator spoke to Voice of America about methods of fighting against the new wave of intimidation and fear, stating: 'They have declared war on us, and our bodies have become the battlefield of this war,' thus 'we should not act recklessly.' This women's empowerment specialist added that these days, various methods of 'enhancing self-defense skills', whether from a 'legal perspective and how to deal with agents' or from the angle of 'self-care and psychological methods to combat fear and terror', are being discussed extensively in women's group lists. However, according to a social analyst and women's movement activist, there are different approaches to 'how to act' against the agents of the 'Noor Plan' and 'vigilantes'. She said, 'We agree on not backing down against them, but we constantly find different solutions based on our individual experiences.' This women's rights activist emphasized the need for flexibility and avoiding emotional reactions in choosing different methods; she stated that whether our method is to appear in sensitive areas and engage directly with the 'agents of the Noor Plan' or to adopt various methods to avoid tension, 'it is important to be aware of our limits and endurance.' A sports coach from the 1990s, who does not recall appearing in the streets with the 'mandatory hijab' since summer 2022, spoke about women's initiatives in confronting the pressures from the Noor Plan agents: 'I always do not act in the same way; I have a different approach for each situation.' She, who must always navigate through the main areas of the city despite not wearing a hijab, added that 'these days it seems everyone in the streets is more considerate of each other,' and they quickly inform each other about the gathering places of the agents and avoid those areas as much as possible. This young athlete explained that, unlike avoiding tension with agents, 'our approach to vigilantes is different. We will engage with them as much as we can; they have no right to tell us what to wear and how to behave.' For a large group of women and youth who have become civil activists through the Woman, Life, Freedom movement, 'the current struggle is to maintain their presence in the streets despite the patrol cars and vigilantes.' One of them, a member of the 2000s generation, said, 'The street is important, and we should not back down in this situation.' She, who attends a language school, stated that the Noor Plan has caused isolation and house confinement for some of her peers, but 'my friends and I especially sit on benches in crowded streets these days to send the message that we are not retreating.' This young civil activist noted that 'the main pressure on us youth these days comes from our families.' She explained that during these two years, 'I have always been free to choose my own clothing, but these days, my family's fear has prevented me from going out.' The names and locations of the interviewees with the Voice of America reporter are kept confidential for their safety. The timing of these conversations was between April 28 and May 1, 2024.