For more than 100 days now, men and women across Iran have fought government forces on the streets and in the villages of the Islamic Republic, demanding a more just and dignified life for half of its population. What began as a struggle against the compulsory hijab — in the backdrop of the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in the custody of the repressive morality police — has since transf-ormed into a wider battle for civil liberties and women’s rights.
For more than 100 days now, men and women across Iran have fought government forces on the streets and in the villages of the Islamic Republic, demanding a more just and dignified life for half of its population. What began as a struggle against the compulsory hijab — in the backdrop of the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in the custody of the repressive morality police — has since transf-ormed into a wider battle for civil liberties and women’s rights. The protesters have braved a brutal crackdown at the hands of the authorities, but have refused to back down, making this the longest running anti-government movement in the country.
The protests, and the repression it has battled, have underlined how uneven and fragile the project of modernity is, and just how vulnerable gains made in advancing the rights of women and marginalised groups remain. The protests have sporadically made headlines in the international press, including at the recently concluded football World Cup, but interna-tional pressure has been limited to statements of condemnation, showing that global commitment to gender rights remains an afterthought. Still, the bravery of the women holds lessons for everyone that dogma and theocracy will always oppose rights, and the fight against patriarchy will be arduous.
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