1. The Islamic Republic’s efforts in obstructing women’s progress.
2. Segregation of Men & Women in public places

In spite of these two enormous hurdles, the Iranian Women have struggled through much trouble and hardship and have shown to the Islamic Authorities that they are tougher and more resilient than what the Authorities had expected. In all, the Iranian Women’s actions and deeds have not only been disparaging to the authorities but have shown that they are not what the Islamic Republic portrays them to the world. However, the true face of Iranian Woman is that which she creates and is one that shows a progressive and forward looking image. The image that so far, the Authorities have ignored.

I) Controls preventing women’s progress put in place by the Islamic Republic:

a) Veil (hejAb):

The first assault on the women’s movement was the Veil, which the authorities ruthlessly implemented and put the Iranian Woman in a “black sac”. It was thus that the first steps of the Islamic Republic was taken against the society and specially women, that they were neither competent nor fit to choose there own clothing. Furthermore, the authorities claim, women to be the source all corruption, perverseness, and villainy. Hence, the authorities called on the suppression of women to stop corruption and villainy. We all remember the words of the first President of the Islamic Republic, who said: “undesirable rays emanate from women’s hair, it is for this reason that they have to cover their heads with “chAdor” or head scarf”.

Thus, the women’s struggle begins, with chanting “no covering, no thrashing” (“na ru sari, na tu sari”). Although, in the face of eminent prosecution and in some cases throwing of acid and slashing of faces by the authorities, the women were forced to observe the Islamic Code for covering their hair and head, but they never bowed to it. In defiance, the Iranian Women use any excuse not to fully and completely cover their hair or adhere to the strict Islamic Code. Hence, from those very early days of the Islamic Revolution the Iranian Women sawed the seeds of resistance.

b) Employment Restrictions:

Other effort by the Islamic Authorities in curbing the influence of women in the Iranian society was to ban their employment in certain industries. One of the forbidden occupations was the position of women judges. Ounce again, the authorities with the power and advocacy of the judicial system told the Iranian Women that they were not competent to hold such key positions. Facing this anti-woman ruling, the Iranian Women ounce again stood fast against it, and in lieu of turning to their homes and kitchens, as hoped by the Islamic Authorities, they rushed to universities and places of education. Today, as reported by the Islamic Republic, more than 60% of all students are women. Even, those subjects in which historically women participated in lesser numbers, have seen a dramatic increase in their enrollment, in Architecture, Engineering and Law. This alone is evidence of the resistance of the women against the Islamic Republic.

c) Restriction of women participation in sporting events:

Next step was to limit and completely stop participation of women in sporting events, International or National. Again, Iranian Women did not stand by and accept the authorities’ demands. They flocked to gymnasiums, riding schools and martial art schools. The Islamic Authorities even prohibit the participation of women in soccer games as mere spectators, ounce again enforcing that women are of lesser importance and relevance in the society.

d) Women’s right and family law:

The lawful age for a girl to get married is reduced to nine. A 9-year-old girl, to whom all across the word is referred to as a child is turned to something that the father, brother, grandfather or uncle (all male element in here life) have the right to give this child away as bride. One asks, “What are the rationalization of such legislations? Moreover, who in their right minds would pass such laws?

The answers are simple! As for the rational behind the legislation, it is understood and accepted in the Islamic Republic, that a nine years old girl is the possession of the male in here family, and they can do what they fell fit for her, demeaning ounce again the value of women and daughters. Who would pass such laws? Those same men, who believe in archaic mid-evil laws that have no place in today’s free society

In other facets of family life and law, it is pertinent to look at the rights of children after a divorce or death of the father. Ounce again, we see the vindictiveness of the Islamic Republic towards women. Fathers get custody of the children after a divorce, since the Islamic justice does not believe children, (girls of 2 and boys of 4 years old) no longer require the love, affection nor supervision of their mother! Even though, the mother has visitation rights, the x-husband determines those rights and more often, the father uses the children as ammunition in taking revenge. The mother has no legal grounds to fight for her rights. Let us not forget that all judges in the Islamic Republic are all men and it is illegal for women to occupy such post!

In the case of death of the father, the children fate is in the hands of the male family members of the deceased father, and the mother has no say in the future of her children.

It is for these laws and alike, that the role of women from a partner has diminished to a reproduction machine under the Islamic laws. Thus, it becomes self-evident the true oppressive nature of Islamic Laws towards women. Moreover, the women as citizens have no legal protection against such travesty.

II) Causes of segregation:

Glancing into a bus, we see a line drawn at the back of the bus, showing the border between where women with their children can sit, and where men would occupy. The front 2/3rd of the bus is for men and the back for women. In the face of it, the Islamic Laws prohibits mingling of men and women, but this segregation aim is more than just mere mingling. Ounce again the Islamic Authorities attempt in social engineering and demeaning the role of women in the Iranian society. The Islamic Republic believes that women should remain in homes and hence do not require public transport, even though, half the population of Iran is made up of women, the public allocation for women, even in buses is 1/3rd.

With unemployment at an all time high, Islamic Republic’s believes, since men are major bread winners in a family, therefore all efforts in job creation should be focused on jobs which are suitable for men, and attempt in creating employment for women should not be a priority. Even pre-school centers are considered not essential!

Evidently, the Islamic Republic has not even been successful in created employment for men either. Unemployment has risen to such levels, that the regime seems to have no solutions for it. All, these are cause by incompetence at the highest level of government and lack of true leadership among the governmental agencies. Although the export income has risen dramatically, but this has had little or no effect on the economy, widespread poverty, out of control unemployment.

Other factor fueling this economic chaos is the uncontrolled population growth, which has risen by 65% in the past 24 years. The Islamic Republic in its acumen never predicted nor planed for such inadequacies, and now has reached a point that in order to alleviate the hardship, has resorted in inhuman conducts. Such conducts as prostitution, although forbidden by Islamic laws, has become a source of income for women, and the Authorities are promoting such behavior. They have gone as far as kidnapping girls from the streets of town and cities and selling them to Arab Sheikh’s across the Persian Gulf. It is remarkable that the Islamic Republic boasted about the advancement of Iranian Women. Although all the progress made by those women were through hardship and resistance to archaic Islamic Laws. Now, after the demise of women’s role in Iranian society, the Regime in Tehran is attempting to blame anti revolutionary movement and foreign elements.

The people of Iran have lost faith in the Islamic Republic. They witness that a major portion of the GDP is spend on non-productive services. An increasing number of Mullahs have been put on the Governments payroll, with no accountability. The Revolutionary Guards (Pasdaran) have joined the three branches of the armed forces creating a fourth and independent branch. Have added the basiji’s (sworn fighters of Islam), and foreign mercenaries to the local law enforcement (Police and the Gendarmerie). Why is it that the Islamic Republic, with all these increase in security forces are not able to control the pilfering and corruption. And why is it that the Islamic prisons are filled with writers of conscious, students, teachers and...

It is evident that the people of Iran are frustrated and in real economic hardship. Poverty, unemployment and hopelessness have undermined the fabric of our society. The ultimate bearers of this suffering and hardship are our children and women.

The father of the Islamic Revolution set the corner stone of the Regimes economic policy, when he announced: “economy is for idiots”. Today we are witnessing the result of that policy, the policy of pilfering the national wealth established by the founder of the Islamic Republic.

In the effort of segregating men & women, in the class rooms, in universities and even on the beaches, the authorities have not been successful. After 24 years, we see boys and girls who are the product of the revolution and were born after the revolution, who have been subjected to continuous Islamic propaganda in schools and universities, have taken the opposite path to that advocated by the Islamic Authorities. We are constantly witnessing the confrontation of these youngsters with the security forces in parks, restaurants, and other public places, all in an effort to have and to keep the natural right of being in the company of opposite gender. Although they are faced with eminent and threat of imprisonment, lashing and in some cases stoning, they are in defiance. These youngsters, especially the Iranian girls, in the river of the Islamic Republic, are swimming against the current.

The "Student Movement Coordination Committee for Democracy in Iran" considers the Iranian Women to be in the forefront of our struggle in the form of social disobedience. Their resistance and defiance of the oppressive laws despite eminent hardship, torture, imprisonment and stoning is encouraging to all other freedom loving people who are also struggling in defiance to the despotic and oppressive Islamic Republic. During the past 24 years the Iranian Women, without any political or communal organization have been the biggest thorn and headache for the Islamic Authorities, and their defiance has played a major part in the creation of the “Third Force”. The force that in the near future will end the rein terror and horror which has cast a shadow of us in the shape of Islamic republic, which will bring about the era of freedom, equality and the rule of law to our home land.

In the hope of prosperous future and freedom for the People of Iran!

January 3, 2003 (13th Dey 1381)

The "Student Movement Coordination Committee for Democracy in Iran" (SMCCDI)