We the undersigned, representing international women’s groups and activists, human rights organizations and activists, university and academic centers, and social justice initiatives, would like to express our support for Iranian women in their effort to reform laws and achieve equal status within the Iranian legal system.
(Change for Equality: Four years have passed since the start of our struggle for equality. Four years filled with major changes and upheavals for the people of Iran. A Campaign which started with the goal of changing ten laws, from numerous discriminatory laws in Iran’s legal code, is today facing both encouragement and criticism. The milieu of social, political and economic conditions along with the tensions and shock that were injected into Iranian society over the last year and (...))
Change for Equality: Mahboubeh Karami a women’s rights and Campaign activist who was arrested on March 2, 2010 after security forces raided her home, is now free on a bail order of half million dollars, after spending 6 months in detention. Karami was sentenced to serve 4 years in prison by the 26th Branch of the Revolutionary Courts. In an interview with the site of Change for Equality, Mahboubeh spoke about her time in Ward 2 of Evin prison, managed by the Revolutionary Guards.
What (...)
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Change for Equality: Maryam Bidgoli and Fatemeh Masjedi, Campaign and women’s rights activists in Qom, have been sentenced to a one year mandatory prison sentence by the Second Branch of the Revolutionary Courts in the city of Qom. According to the verdict issued by Judge Mousavi, these two activists were found guilty on the charge of “spreading propaganda against the state, through collection of signatures for changing discriminatory laws and publication of materials in support of a (...)
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Amnesty International: URGENT ACTION
JOURNALIST MAY FACE DEATH PENALTY
Journalist and human rights defender Shiva Nazar Ahari appears to have been charged with moharebeh (enmity with God), which can carry the death penalty. Her next hearing is scheduled for 4 September 2010. She is a prisoner of conscience, held solely for the peaceful exercise of her rights to freedom of expression and association.
Shiva Nazar Ahari, who is a member of the Iranian organization, the Committee of Human (...)
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International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran:
Shiva Nazar Ahari’s lawyer, Mohammad Sharif, has expressed concern about his client’s upcoming trial considering the heavy charge of moharebeh (enmity with God) in her case. “Shiva Nazar Ahari’s case is being reviewed in the same branch that reviewed Badrolssadat Mofidi’s case. I believe the ruling in Ms. Mofidi’s case to be illegal and therefore am seriously concerned about the court’s potential ruling, considering the fact that my client’s (...)
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Change for Equality: Mahboubeh Karami women’s rights and Campaign activists was temporarily released on the evening Wednesday August 18, 2010 after posting a bail amount of 500 Million Tomans (roughly $500,000).
Karami spent 170 days in detention. Her court session was held on Saturday August 14, 2010 after which the bail order was issued by judge. Despite the extremely high bail order and the fact that Mahboubeh continues to insist that none of her human rights and women’s rights (...)
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The controversial Family Protection bill was dealt a blow at the Islamic parliament today as one of its articles outlining legal registration of "temporary marriages" was voted down. ILNA reports that Article 21 of the new bill failed to pass through the parliament with only 45 votes in favour of it. The article was one of the points women’s rights activists objected to in the so-called Family Protection bill.
The Family Protection bill was first introduced into the parliament three years (...)
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Amnesty International Canada:
Save Shiva Nazar Ahari
According to her mother, the charges brought against Shiva Nazar Ahari during her most recent arrest include “causing unease in the public mind through writing on the CHRR’s website and other websites” and "acting against national security by participating in [anti-government] demonstrations on 4 November 2009 and 7 December 2009". Shiva denies these allegations. She has said that since her arrest she has spent much of the time in solitary (...)
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Gozzar:
At Evin prison, Shiva Nazar Ahari is not just a name. It is a sea. A sea of hope. Hope that lights up the eyes of every new prisoner. You can find the name “Shiva Nazar Ahari” in every interrogation room in Ward 209, written in a neat and legible hand on the acoustic walls. It’s not simply a name –it’s a sign. A sign that communicates, “Don’t be afraid! Resist!” It is only during the agitation of a heavy, exhausting interrogation that you are able to grasp what it means to be Shiva Nazar (...)
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Change for Equality: The One Million Signatures Campaign has from its start in August 27, 2006, focused its efforts on both signature collection and awareness-raising and education. For this purpose training workshops for new volunteers have been held consistently. These workshops address the history of the women’s movement, past activities of women’s rights activists, the context and reason for the creation of the One Million Signatures Campaign, the impact of discriminatory laws on the (...)read more
29 August 2010
Anniversary Special: An Examination of the Campaign through writings of activists
Change for Equality: When we first started the One Million Signatures Campaign, we realized that the effort was unique. We were intent on raising awareness about women’s rights and the impact of laws that discriminate against women at the grassroots level by engaging in face to face discussions with ordinary citizens. At the same time, we realized that the Campaign would serve as a valuable experience for activists as well, who would be afforded the opportunity to learn from citizens and (...)read more
Translated by: Sussan Tahmasebi
Change for Equality: The One Million Signatures Campaign will celebrate its fourth anniversary on August 27. In celebration of this auspicious occasion, Parastoo, Mohammad and I go to a park in West Tehran to collect signatures in support of the Campaign’s petition demanding changes to discriminatory laws against women. It is always interesting to talk to the public and hear their views on women’s rights and try to assess their level of commitment to (...)read more
Translated by: Sussan Tahmasebi
Change for Equality: His face is round and kind and he is always smiling. His hair is grey and he has a big frame. Like many old men, he is loveable.
He is the custodian at our office building, and I know him more than others do. I take the petition of the Campaign and start discussions with my coworkers, explaining what we are trying to do. Some take the petition quickly and return it with a signature, while others require more of an explanation. (...)read more
Translated by: Sussan Tahmasebi
[www.we-change.org/english]: For some time now, I have been going house to house to collect signatures in support of the Campaign’s petition and listen to people’s stories. Stories told by young women which are filled with the pain of being considered second class citizens. Stories told by mothers, who don’t even benefit from custody and guardianship rights of their own children. Stories told by women who are denied employment in the fields of their choice. (...)read more
Translated by: Sussan Tahmasebi
Change for Equality: It was the first time I was collecting signatures on my own. I got on the bus at Revolution Square, it was early evening and the bus was crowded. There were no seats left. I tried to find a place to stand which would allow me to speak to the other passengers about the Campaign.
I started first from the woman who was standing next to me. Because the bus was crowded I spoke in a loud voice. The volume of my voice, the issues we were (...)read more
Translated by: Sussan Tahmasebi
Change for Equality: The man was lying on the grass. Even from a distance, you could tell what was wrong with him. He had distanced himself from the picnic blanket where a group of men and women of different ages were sitting. I guessed that they were his family. We paid him no attention and approached his family instead. We asked for a few minutes of their time. They invited us warmly to sit with them.
We began to discuss the discriminatory laws. We (...)read more
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