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International Women’s Day |
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We Salute Women and Celebrate International Women’s Day
March 8th commemorates International Women’s Day. We congratulate the women all over the world and especially Iranian women for their courage and enduring efforts in their struggle for human rights and betterment of the quality of life for women. We wish them all the success in their endeavors and hope for victory in their struggle.
We celebrate this momentous occasion by announcing the launch of the “Women’s Commission” of “Solidarity Iran”. Solidarity Iran is a non-partisan grass-root organization composed of Iranians with diverse political outlooks and opinions. Its objectives are to unite all the secular and democratic opposition groups under one umbrella. In accordance with these objectives, the Women’s Commission has been formed with the aim of establishing a link between the women’s movement and other civil and democratic movements such as the labor, students, teachers and ethnic rights movements in Iran.
It is evident that in the current conditions in Iran and under the system of the Islamic Republic, women lack fundamental rights of equality vis-a-vis their male compatriots. The Islamic Republic of Iran, in spite of trumpeting empty slogans and rhetoric on women’s grandeurs, has in the last quarter of a century systematically suppressed, discriminated, and intimidated women through their antiquated and draconian anti-women laws.
However, despite IRI’s policies of extremely harsh and barbaric treatments of women such as stoning, whipping, demonizing, insulting, degrading, demeaning and trampling their rights, women have not been deterred and silenced from protesting and refusing to give in to the conditions that the regime has imposed on them. One of the focal points of the women’s struggle in Iran has been the launch of the “One Million Signatures Campaign” – for a petition demanding equal rights with men. This campaign has given women the opportunity to bring their grievances to the forefront of the world’s public opinion. Because of extreme limitations and controls put on political activism in Iran, women can only use legal remedies to address women and human rights issues.
We, members of the “Women’s Commission of Solidarity Iran” believe that the women’s movement is a political, cultural and a social movement. We are convinced that in order to achieve equality between women and men, it is necessary for women to actively participate in the struggle for democracy and to collaborate with other campaigners for political and social change. Therefore, we will focus our efforts on soliciting the support and collaboration of all the women who are fighting for their human rights, and will continue our struggle until a national comprehensive solidarity movement for democracy and human rights in Iran is established.
It is with these objectives, purpose and vision that we invite all women rights activists to further and strengthen their gender solidarity and struggle by joining forces with other democratic and freedom fighters with the aim of forming a strong and forceful opposition movement in Iran.
We believe that women are pioneers and torchbearers of unity and development for tomorrow's Iran. We believe that this time round they are determined to take their destiny into their own hands and to participate in the development of our country in order to create a true democracy in Iran in which the laws of equality are enshrined in its Constitution. They will not tolerate any forms of gender inequality or allow themselves to be left on the sidelines. This is to say that the political leadership of the movement for democracy and fundamental change in Iran must take form with the cooperation and active participation of the inspiring women of Iran.
Victory to the Women’s Movement in Iran!
May the Women’s Movement act as a unifying force for all political and social activists for one common cause: the Iranian solidarity for democracy and human rights!
The Women’s Commission of Solidarity Iran
8th March 2008
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