Why Women Lead Iran’s Resistance Movement

The current regime has a reputation for oppressing women. And yet since 2017 women have been the ones who seem to be at the forefront of the protests on the ground in Iran. And at the same time, when I look at your group, not only you, but primarily all the leadership in your organization is female. Is that coincidence? And and how is it that women are taking such a strong role in a country that has tried to hold women down?

I must state clearly that this coincidence in timing is not accidental at all. The reality is that the prominent and active role of Iranian women in the nationwide uprisings of recent years was not spontaneous or created overnight. Rather, it is rooted in 48 years of struggle by Iranian women in the political and social spheres, as well as in the arenas of military battles, where MEK women played a leading and pioneering role. Under this regime’s rule, thousands of courageous women activists and MEK members have been arrested, tortured, and executed. And today, one thousand heroic women serve in the MEK’s Central Council, assuming leadership and guiding responsibilities at every level of this movement. Moreover, women constitute 52 percent of the more than 450 members of the National Council of Resistance of Iran. In this way, women’s leadership has been institutionalized within the resistance and serves as a springboard for achieving genuine gender equality. This is a source of inspiration and motivation for women across Iran.

According to the Council’s program and its Ten-Point Plan, equality for women and their full participation in all spheres of society—especially in political leadership—will guarantee democracy and development in a future Iran.

https://www.maryam-rajavi.com/en/washington-times-irans-regime-is-at-its-weakest-point/