“One of the demands which, in my opinion, is revolutionary, is a demand for equality” between women and men

“In the Iranian system, the law organizes the segregation of women in society,” said the lawyer and member of the Iran Justice collective, guest of Talk franceinfo on Twitch.

A wave of protests has shaken Iran since the arrest by the morality police and then the death in custody, on September 16, 2023, of Mahsa Amini, a young Iranian woman aged 22. The demonstrators refute the official version which affirms that she would have died because of “cerebral hypoxia”. The regime arrested thousands of supporters of the movement. Nearly six months after the start of the protest against the regime, how is the revolt of Iranian men and women evolving?

>> Iran: where is the mobilization, six months after the death in detention of Mahsa Amini?

“In the Iranian system, the law organizes the segregation of women in society”, believes Chirinne Ardakani, lawyer and member of the Iran Justice collective. Guest of Talk franceinfo on Twitch, Wednesday March 15, she explains the differences in rights between women and men: “There are quotas which make it possible to limit women’s access to certain positions in the public service, their testimonies do not have the same value as those of men, they are discriminated against in inheritance… It is a system segregationist who is organized by law.”

For the lawyer, “one of the demands which, in my opinion, is revolutionary, which is particularly supported by women, is a demand for equality and to put an end, from a structural point of view, to this discrimination. In this sense , the demands are revolutionary.”

“All Iranians are welded”

“Today, we have every reason to be optimistic” for the future, considers for his part Farid Vahid, co-director of the Observatory of North Africa and the Middle East of the Jean Jaurès foundation. For the researcher, “All Iranians are united, women and men, they know very well what they want, a democratic and above all secular regime, a separation of politics and religion. This is really what comes to the heart of the demands. “

“A veil burned in the street, it’s not just about the veilcontinues Farid Vahid, it is the question of the stranglehold of religion on public space, on politics, on daily life. All of this leads to high hopes. The activists have a lot of strength and courage.” He brings a nuance and says he worries about his loved ones “short term” : “I am not pessimistic but I am very worried about my friends and relatives due to the economic crisis.”


source site-29