Statements from Various Professional Organizations in Iran on International Women's Day: Women Have Become Pioneers of Struggles

Various professional organizations in Iran have issued statements on the occasion of March 8, International Women's Day, recognizing women as pioneers of struggles in Iran, particularly referencing the protests of 2022 known as the "Women, Life, Freedom" movement. The statement from the Iranian Pensioners' Council describes International Women's Day as a symbol of the fight against organized violence, honor killings, forced marriage, and pregnancy. According to the Council, March 8 is a global day emphasizing the struggle against poverty and hunger, the fundamental elimination of all forms of deprivation, and against modern slavery in the form of wage labor and unpaid domestic work. The Council's statement also calls for the liberation of the human body from all chains and restrictions, including compulsory hijab and any form of control over the body. It mentions support for free relationships, all sexual orientations, the defense of the LGBT community, the fight against executions, religious fundamentalism, environmental preservation, and the need for women's freedom as essential. Additionally, the boycott of elections ahead of International Women's Day is seen as a sign of hope, indicating that the "Women, Life, Freedom" revolution has achieved another victory by imposing a significant defeat. The Pensioners' Council emphasized that this event serves as a social-political referendum showing that nothing will return to the previous state. The Pensioners' Union also stated that women will not settle for unequal equality with men and do not view their only motivation as being in top jobs or management. The statement noted that "women focus on subordination and fight for a worthy world; a struggle against capitalism, supremacy, and domination, which can only be achieved through solidarity and persistent struggle from women and the alliance of men." The Pensioners' Union believes that women's struggles began immediately after the 1979 revolution and have continued unabated, with no signs of stopping. The statement highlighted that over the past two years, women have consistently been at the forefront of public struggles that have existed in Iran since the Constitutional Revolution, albeit with ups and downs. The Council for Organizing Contract Workers in the Oil Industry also stated that they honor all those who lost their lives in last year's nationwide protests, including Mahsa Jina Amini, who symbolizes our united struggle against the oppression of women and against poverty, corruption, and insecurity. The statements continued, with the Tehran Bus Workers' Union noting that people who had taken to the streets in previous decades for the right to live, to end poverty and plunder, for freedom and equality, and to fight against all regressive exploitative laws, faced crippling inflation in 2023, while the Baluch people maintained their resistance through ongoing protest Fridays. The statement added that systematic violence against women has continued over the past year, with more reports of "femicide" and "honor killings" emerging. The Bus Workers' Union emphasized that women and children who are victims of child marriage are completely deprived of their human and legal rights and continue to be killed in the absence of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women and the right to divorce. Other points mentioned in the statement include economic conditions, the right to employment and livelihood for women, especially for working women, and the deaths of working women due to lack of safety in the workplace. The Bus Workers' Union stressed that women's bodies remain targets of government policies such as the population growth plan. The statement also referenced arrests in various cities, noting that security cases and prison sentences for women with optional hijab, mothers and families seeking justice, and activists in teachers' unions, pensioners, labor activists, writers, intellectuals, and particularly women's rights activists are being pursued with maximum intensity. The statement highlighted women's resilience despite repression, stating, "We whisper the song of women's liberation and believe that by relying on our right to self-determination, we will destroy the darkness of reaction with the light of the sun." The International Transport Workers' Federation stated in a statement on International Women's Day that "International Women's Day has its roots in the labor movement." According to this statement, on March 8, 1917, "socialist women and textile workers in Petrograd, Russia, held widespread demonstrations demanding 'bread and peace,' and this slogan still resonates among women workers in war-torn countries like Ukraine and Palestine." The International Transport Workers' Federation emphasized that "global action days provide an opportunity for women workers in the transport sector and activists and leaders of labor unions to feel more empowered and united." This international organization announced that this year's campaign aims to create a more inclusive world for women, and to build the power of labor unions, we need organizations that prioritize women's leadership, participation, and equality. The International Transport Workers' Federation concluded by stating: "We know there is still a long way to go: 'This world is ours too.'"