Equal to Me; A Hashtag in Protest Against Gender Inequality Ahead of March 8

Persian-speaking users, ahead of March 8 (International Women's Day), have been discussing situations that reflect significant differences between women and men in Iranian society using the hashtag "Equal to Me" on Twitter since Tuesday evening, March 15. Messages shared under this hashtag address sexual harassment, gender discrimination, and aspects of the patriarchal system in today's Iranian society. A user named "Titi," who identifies as an archaeologist, mentions some of the comments women hear in the Iranian job market: "Fieldwork isn't suitable for women; you should do library work... / This supervisor won't take women on the excavation team... / Archaeology isn't for women; what do you want to do in the mountains? / If you go to the mountains, what will happen to your husband?" Another user named "Indu" refers to the unequal treatment of families regarding the curfew for daughters and sons, while another user named "Arya Stark" points out phrases like: "Why are you crying like a girl?", "Girls can't be drivers", "Girls shouldn't laugh loudly", and "Girls always have to compromise". Several users have tweeted about inequalities in laws and social conditions, mentioning issues such as "lack of child custody rights", "blood money being half that of men", "traveling abroad requiring husband's permission", and "women's testimony in court". The hashtag "Equal to Me" can be seen as a continuation of the global hashtag "Me Too". Gender Gap Index Ranking: Iran 140 out of 144 countries. This year's March 8 arrives while the gender inequality index in Iran has reportedly dropped one rank compared to last year, reaching the bottom of the global table. Leila Flahati, the Director General of International Affairs at the Vice Presidency for Women and Family Affairs, stated two months ago in an interview with ISNA that the latest assessment of the gender gap index shows that Iran ranks 140 out of 144 countries, with only Chad, Syria, Pakistan, and Yemen below Iran. According to this official, Saudi Arabia has climbed a few ranks compared to previous years, reaching 138 in this table. The "gender gap" index is used by the World Economic Forum to compare the level of equality between men and women in countries worldwide, based on four components: education, health, economic participation, and political participation. This year's March 8 arrives while women's status in Iran regarding some of these indicators is either similar to last year or has declined: - Political Participation: Unlike Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's government, Hassan Rouhani's second government has not introduced any women as ministers and, under pressure from conservatives, has reassigned two female vice presidents, Shahindokht Molaverdi and Masoumeh Ebtekar, to other positions. However, Masoumeh Ebtekar, the Vice President for Women and Family Affairs, announced last month that Rouhani has ordered that 30% of managerial positions be allocated to women. - Security Barriers Against Social Changes: Over the past year, judicial and security institutions have responded harshly to protests by some women against mandatory hijab, referred to as "the girls of Revolution Street". The prevention of women's entry into stadiums has also continued over the past year, and in the latest instance, despite FIFA President's conversation with Rouhani, girls who went to watch the 86th derby of the capital at Azadi Stadium were not only denied entry but were temporarily transferred to a detention center in the city center. - Attack on Document 2030: The Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic launched an all-out attack on a UNESCO document that outlines the global community's roadmap for the next fifteen years, including gender equality, last year. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei stated in May 2017, "The Islamic Republic of Iran will not submit to documents like UNESCO's 2030. Why should a so-called international body, which is certainly under the influence of world powers, have the right to dictate terms to the nations of the world?" Following this criticism, a wave of opposition to this document was heard in radical circles in Iran, and scattered protests were also held against it. Ultimately, under this pressure, Rouhani's government removed the document from its agenda. - Efforts to Stop Early Marriage of Girls; "War with God": Some members of the Islamic Consultative Assembly have begun efforts this year to raise the minimum marriage age for girls. According to the latest changes to Iran's civil law, the minimum marriage age is 13 for girls and 15 for boys; however, marriage below this age is also possible with "guardian's permission" and "court's discretion". Nevertheless, some efforts to change the law and raise the marriage age to 16 and 18 have faced serious obstacles. Parvaneh Salahshouri, the head of the Women's Faction in Parliament, reported in October that there were "obstacles" to changing this law, stating: "This moderate government and this expedient parliament make it difficult to pass such laws." Minoo Aslani, head of the "Women’s Basij Society", which has twelve thousand "Resistance Basij Sisters" bases across Iran, attacked this proposal, stating that efforts to eliminate "father's permission and age condition" from the requirements for girls' marriage is "a war with God". However, on Wednesday, March 16, Parvaneh Salahshouri announced that the "proposal to raise the minimum marriage age" has been submitted to the Parliament's presiding board with 67 signatures. Antonio Guterres, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, in a message released on the occasion of this year's March 8, referred to the "unprecedented exposure of historical and structural inequalities against women", stating: "It is time for men to stand alongside women, listen to them, and learn from women."