Human Rights

Iranian Women's Shout for Freedom

A Context of Repression

Iran for decades was the scene of a complex struggle between authoritarianism and aspirations for freedom. Under a theocratic regime led by the Supreme Leader, women's lives are deeply conditioned by legal and social restrictions that seek to maintain an order based on the supremacy and control of men over women.

In this framework, the mandatory dress code and the surveillance of the Morality Police are not mere religious symbols, but instruments of political control that infringe on fundamental rights such as freedom of expression and gender equality.

The crackdown intensified under Ebrahim Raisi, an ultraconservative cleric who prioritized the consolidation of authoritarianism. Despite his death in 2024, the regime has maintained its hard line under the temporary leadership of Mohammad Mokhber, reinforcing state control through measures including, for example, the installation of cameras to monitor compliance with the dress code. However, in this context of oppression, Iranian women have become a global symbol of resistance.

In April 2024, the Iranian regime implemented "Plan Noor" (Plan Light), a nationwide campaign that intensified public surveillance of women to ensure compliance with the Islamic dress code. This initiative resulted in a visible increase in security patrols on foot, on motorcycles and in police vehicles, aimed at monitoring aspects such as women's visible hair, clothing and makeup in public spaces. Sanctions include fines, arrests and even physical punishment, reinforcing a climate of repression

Masoud Pezeshkian, elected president earlier this year, had suggested during his campaign that he would seek to limit the interference of the Morality Police in the daily lives of women, particularly in the enforcement of the dress code. However, since his inauguration, he has taken no concrete steps to modify these practices. On the contrary, his public pledge of loyalty to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and the conservative sectors of the regime has made it clear that he will not challenge the status quo.

In the Islamic Republic's political system, the president, although elected by popular vote, has limited power, as supreme authority rests with the supreme leader. Khamenei, in office since 1989, maintains absolute control over key issues such as foreign policy, national security and the nuclear program. Thus, any attempt at reform by the president faces insurmountable structural barriers.

Despite these constraints, Pezeshkian publicly expressed his intention to engage in "constructive negotiations" with Western powers to renew the 2015 nuclear deal, in which Iran agreed to limit its nuclear program in exchange for economic sanctions relief. However, these promises of openness contrast with the intensification of domestic repression, as evidenced by the Noor Plan, which tightens restrictions towards women and perpetuates the regime's hard line. The gap between their words and actions underscores the continuity of a system designed to preserve the interests of the most conservative and repressive sectors of the Islamic Republic. 

Narges Mohammadi: Voice of Resistance in Iran

Narges Mohammadi, journalist and human rights defender, is a symbol of the struggle against oppression in Iran. As vice president of the "Center for Human Rights Defenders", she was repeatedly imprisoned for her activism on behalf of women and against the death penalty. She is currently serving a sentence of 12 years and 11 months in Evin Prison, along with a sentence of 154 lashes, imposed on charges including "propaganda against the regime" and leading protests against state violence. In 2023, she was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for her courage and resistance, although she was unable to collect it due to her imprisonment. From prison, Mohammadi continues to be a crucial voice in the struggle for justice and human rights in one of the most repressive contexts in the world.

In 2022, Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old woman who dreamed of a normal life, was arrested on a busy Tehran street simply because a lock of hair escaped from her veil. Days later, her death in custody became the catalyst for a wave of protests inside and outside the country that, under the slogan 'Women, Life, Freedom', united a nation weary of repression.

The regime's response was brutal: hundreds of deaths and thousands of arrests. In addition, in a direct attack on press freedom, journalists Nilufar Hamedi and Elahe Mohammadi, who reported on Amini's death in Morality Police custody, were sentenced to five years in prison. Charged with "collusion against national security" and "propaganda against the system", their case exposes how the regime uses repression not only against protesters, but also against those who document and denounce its abuses.

However, Iranian women, far from backing down, transformed their pain into action, challenging the regime through demonstrations, speeches and activism both inside and outside the country. State repression, which seeks to silence both those who protest and those who report, has exposed the regime's profound disregard for fundamental rights, such as freedom of expression and freedom of the press. This context not only amplifies the symbolism of Mahsa Amini as a martyr of resistance, but also highlights the crucial role of those who risk their freedom to expose the truth.

Kiana Malek's Story: Freedom in Exile

In Iran, we are educated under ideas that contradict human rights', says Kiana Malek, an activist who found in Uruguay 8 years ago the refuge that her country denied her. Her story is that of a woman who decided to turn her exile into a platform to defend freedom, showing the world that even in the distance, her voice continues to fight for those who cannot speak. Her story can be seen in a documentary produced by the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom and the think tank CESCOS. It is a first person testimony of how exile can become a platform for the defense of human rights.

Kiana describes her life in Iran as a constant struggle against impositions that contradict the basic principles of human rights. For her, Persian identity is a source of pride, but the theocratic system tried to distort it to justify oppression. In Uruguay, Kiana has not only found freedom, but also a new perspective from which to contribute to the cause of Iranian women.

Freedom as a Global Banner

The struggle for women's rights in Iran demands a feminism that transcends superficial debates and focuses on the urgent needs of those who face detention, torture and repression for simply existing in a system designed to oppress them.

In a country where millions of women and girls are watched, punished and silenced, feminism must ally itself with the principles of liberalism. In this context, liberal ideas provide an indispensable framework for guaranteeing personal autonomy, equality before the law and individual dignity, as opposed to a regime that uses religion and state power as tools of oppression. 

Feminism committed to freedom must act as a transformative force that does not limit itself to rhetoric, but seeks concrete solutions for those who suffer inequality in its most brutal form. This includes actively denouncing regime abuses, supporting activists at home and abroad, and promoting international policies that hold authoritarian governments accountable.

Freedom is not an abstract ideal; it is the basis for building societies where women can develop fully, free from fear and coercion. In the case of Iran, a feminist and liberal approach is essential to bring about real change: a feminism that embraces freedom as a fundamental human right and opposes both authoritarianism and tendencies that trivialize these struggles.

The Iranian women's cry for freedom is not theirs alone: it challenges us all. It is a reminder that freedom and dignity are universal rights that transcend borders, cultures and religions. By raising our voices alongside theirs, we not only support their struggle, we reaffirm our belief in a world where equality and freedom prevail.