The Kurdistan Human Rights Association congratulates all women around the world, especially women in Kurdistan, on International Women’s Day on March 8, and honors women’s struggles for freedom, human rights, and a free and equal society.
This year has seen the continuation of violations of women’s rights, injustice and inequality, and women have become more victims than ever of a patriarchal society and the anti-feminist traditions and inhumane policies of hegemonic governments.
There are currently countless political, civil, and human rights prisoners in Iranian government prisons. By arresting female civil activists, the Islamic Republic of Iran has shown that they always continued anti-feminist policy and is not willing to accept the equal position and rights of this spectrum of society.
Zeinab Jalalian, a political prisoner in Kurdistan, has been in prison for more than 15 years and has faced the harshest possible torture by the Iranian government. At the same time, Zara Mohammadi and Soheila Hejab are two other female prisoners in Kurdistan who have been sentenced to prison by the Iranian government on charges of teaching the Kurdish language (mother language) and practicing law and civic activity.
It should be noted that the laws of the Islamic Republic of Iran continue to emphasize discrimination and violations of women’s rights and no changes have been made to change and improve the laws.
Backward cultures and traditions and a patriarchal society have been other factors that have exacerbated discrimination and oppression against women. In the past year, dozens of women have been killed or committed suicide for “honor killings.”
But in spite of all these factors, the women of Kurdistan continued their rightful activities in the social, environmental and political spheres and continued to fight. In a way, the government’s policies to weaken women have failed and women have entered various arenas of struggle more than ever.
While congratulating women on Women’s Day (March 8th) the Kurdistan Human Rights Association calls on the Kurdistan community to work for the freedom, equality and equality of all members of society and to try to provide a free society free from gender discrimination by continuing their struggles.
Kurdistan Human Rights Association
