Human Rights Organization: International Women's Day in Iran Under the Shadow of Gender Suppression

In a report on the occasion of International Women's Day, March 8, the Iran Human Rights Campaign announced that this day in Iran is overshadowed by suppression and gender apartheid, where women are considered "second-class citizens" under the Islamic Republic's Sharia laws. The report emphasizes that women in Iran are systematically subjected to oppressive government laws and policies aimed solely at preventing the downfall of the ruling religious dictatorship. Bahar Qandahari, communications director of the Iran Human Rights Campaign, stated: "Women in Iran are not just facing simple discrimination; they are confronted with a complex and institutionalized structure of oppression designed to subjugate them in order to maintain the ruling power. This situation, which can only be termed 'gender apartheid,' fully aligns with the criteria for crimes against humanity." Qandahari called for the criminalization of gender apartheid globally, adding that support from women's rights advocating governments for the drafting and criminalization of gender apartheid as a form of crime against humanity is essential. Accordingly, the Iran Human Rights Campaign urged all governments committed to gender equality and human rights to support a proposed treaty recognizing 'gender apartheid' as a form of 'crime against humanity.' The campaign also demanded condemnation of the systematic and fundamental violations of women's rights in Iran and pressure on the Islamic Republic to abolish discriminatory laws against women and girls. Furthermore, the campaign called for targeted sanctions against officials involved in the suppression of women in Iran and stated that, based on the principle of 'universal jurisdiction,' those involved in gross violations of women's rights in Iran should be held accountable in domestic courts and national tribunals. In the lead-up to International Women's Day, the Iran Human Rights Campaign spoke with several women from various segments of society. Simin, a 32-year-old bookstore owner in Isfahan, said: "After the Woman-Life-Freedom movement, local shopkeepers, mostly men, have developed a very positive and supportive attitude. Honestly, I never wear a hijab in my bookstore. Several times, nearby shopkeepers have come to our bookstore and thanked me for what they considered to be an unprecedented boldness." Pantea, a 30-year-old from Shiraz, shared her personal experience with the Iran Human Rights Campaign, emphasizing that after her divorce from her husband, she still carries the feelings of humiliation and despair from those days and thinks of the women she saw during that time—women who were in difficult situations due to their inability to pay costs and lack of access to experienced lawyers. Women who suffered physical violence, or a woman who was raped by her husband and was seeking divorce but did not consider the violence she endured sufficient grounds for separation. The Iran Human Rights Campaign previously announced on Thursday, March 7, in a statement for International Women's Day that the Islamic Republic has increased security and judicial pressures on women activists in Iran ahead of this day. The Hengaw Human Rights Organization also reported the summons of three civil and women's rights activists from Sanandaj. The conference on violence against women was held in Paris, discussing the status of women in Iran. Mahtab Ghorbani stated: "The bodies of women are the Achilles' heel of the Islamic Republic."