Sanandaj: International Women’s Day Ceremony Held Despite Security Threats, Joint Statement Declaimed
Hengaw: Monday, March 8, 2025
A special ceremony marking International Women’s Day was held in the city of Sanandaj with the collaboration of several organizations active in women's rights. This event took place despite threats and pressure from security institutions on civil activists. During the gathering, an official statement was read on behalf of three organizations in defense of women's rights.
According to a report received by Hengaw Organization for Human Rights, on Friday, March 7, 2025, the special International Women’s Day event was held in Sanandaj with the participation of the Kurdistan Women’s Union, Sanandaj Women Civil Activists, Sanandaj Women’s Rights Activists, and several other groups and organizations. Women activists took part in the event by holding placards with messages such as “Honors to March 8,” “A Woman is No One’s Property,” and “Long Live International Women’s Day.” They also raised images of three female political prisoners sentenced to death: Pakhshan Azizi, Verisheh Moradi, and Sharifeh Mohammadi.
This ceremony was held despite the fact that the previous day, the Sanandaj Intelligence Office had summoned several women’s rights activists and warned them against participating in the March 8 event.
Additionally, during the event, a statement was read on behalf of the Kurdistan Women’s Union (Yekîtiya Jinên Kurdistan), Sanandaj Civil Women Activists, and Sanandaj Women’s Rights Activists.
The text of the statement is as follows:
March 8 is a reminder of the historical struggles of women against oppression, inequality, and exploitation. This day, rooted in the protests of female workers in the 19th century, marked the beginning of widespread movements that led to significant achievements in political, social, and economic rights. From the fight for the right to vote to resistance against patriarchal systems and structural violence, women have persistently stood their ground on the path to freedom and equality and have never abandoned their ideals despite all obstacles.
However, in Iran, the ruling establishment has continuously sought to deprive women of their fundamental rights through misogynistic policies. Repressive laws such as compulsory hijab, child marriage, suppression of individual freedoms, and violations of reproductive rights serve as tools to control women and legitimize patriarchal dominance. These policies have not only restricted women's freedom and autonomy but have also institutionalized and legitimized violence against them on a large scale. The increasing rates of femicide, sexual violence, child abuse, and severe punishments against women highlight their dire situation in Iran. Moreover, discrimination in resource allocation within an unequal neoliberal system and economic crises have placed the greatest burden on the most vulnerable sectors of society, particularly marginalized women such as Baluch, Kurdish, and migrant women, as well as a significant portion of women in informal employment. In this context, women, alongside the women's movement, have actively participated in other protest movements, including those of workers, retirees, teachers, and students, amplifying their collective voices against systemic oppression.
Iranian women are held captive by a government that deeply fears women's existence. This fear, exacerbated by the Jin, Jiyan, Azadi (Women, Life, Freedom) uprising and its progressive slogan, has driven the regime to issue death sentences and imprisonment for female activists. Women such as Pakhshan Azizi, Sharifeh Mohammadi, and Verisheh Moradi, whose voices the government sought to silence, have become symbols of resistance against oppressive policies. These voices have not been silenced; rather, they have transformed into a global outcry against tyranny.
In this regard, the struggles of women in Kurdistan stand out as one of the most prominent examples of pioneering women's liberation movements, serving as a symbol of the maturity and evolution of these movements in the Middle East. Kurdish women have not only fought against the intersecting oppressions of gender, nationality, and class but have also established independent and organized structures, offering a new model of resistance, self-organization, and freedom-seeking struggle. Whether in the frontlines of battle or in social and intellectual arenas, their unwavering determination and sacrifices have played an unparalleled role in advancing the ideals of equality and freedom. The organization and participation of women in all political and social dimensions affirm the truth that women's liberation is the foundation of society's overall freedom.
The women's movement has traversed an irreversible path. The awareness, organization, and historical experience of these struggles have made a return to an era of inequality and oppression impossible. Women across the world, particularly in the Middle East, will never revert to a past where their voices were silenced. This movement signifies not only a transformation for women but also a fundamental and irreversible change for entire societies. Victory in this journey is not a mere possibility but an inevitable necessity for achieving justice and freedom.
We declare that March 8, International Women's Day, is a reminder of a widespread political and social movement in which Iranian women, particularly in Kurdistan, persist in their struggle for their ideals with greater resolve than ever before. Women and men stand together against all forms of inequality, fighting to build a free, equal, and just world. Therefore, this year, on International Women's Day, the central slogans of our struggle must be: No to executions, no to honor-killings, and united resistance against inflation and inequality.
