Silence of Iranian Officials on International Women's Day

"Women should benefit from equal opportunities, security, and rights." This message was posted in English on the Twitter account attributed to Hassan Rouhani on the occasion of March 8, International Women's Day. The short message was published without any reflection on official government or news websites. However, apart from this tweet attributed to Rouhani, no other official in Iran reacted to International Women's Day. Even Shahindokht Molaverdi, Rouhani's Deputy for Women and Family Affairs, who was in New York for the 59th Commission on the Status of Women, did not mention International Women's Day in her report published on her Facebook page on March 8, only reporting on her upcoming agenda at the conference. Meanwhile, news related to International Women's Day was also ignored by news media in Iran. The Islamic Republic News Agency, as the most important official media outlet of the Islamic Republic, completely overlooked the topic of International Women's Day for Iranian women and only covered women's discontent in Turkey and Tajikistan. Asieh Amini, a women's rights activist residing in Norway, stated: "The Iranian president's message was very brief and was not published in mass media or official platforms. Furthermore, the message was published in English, which is not the official language of Iranian women, suggesting that either Mr. Rouhani did not consider Iranian audiences or did not regard Iranian women as recipients of this message, or that this message is fundamentally intended for foreign audiences." Amini also noted that the tone of this message needs to be examined, saying: "This message for International Women's Day, in my opinion, has the tone of a social activist or someone striving for gender equality, not a message from someone responsible for implementing these rights. Wishing for women to deserve equal conditions is not something a president should express as a slogan in a language other than the official language of his country." Previously, Rouhani had presented programs to fulfill women's demands as part of his presidential campaign, including ensuring security for women, equal opportunities between men and women, and providing insurance and employment services for women, promises that, according to women's rights activists, have largely remained mere campaign slogans. The gathering for International Women's Day was not focused on women's issues. Although after the women's march on March 8, 1979, in protest against compulsory hijab, International Women's Day was no longer recognized in Iran, women's movement activists have always sought to use this day to speak out against gender discrimination and inequalities faced by women in Iran. Security crackdowns, the arrest of women attempting to gather for International Women's Day in Mellat Park, and ongoing pressures on women activists have led to fewer gatherings being held on this day in recent years. According to reports from Iranian media, the Mothers for Peace group held a ceremony on Friday to commemorate International Women's Day, which was reportedly "not like the usual March 8 ceremonies." Women activists from various backgrounds gathered in the amphitheater with colorful scarves, exchanging congratulations for International Women's Day. At this event, various topics were discussed without a specific focus.