Women display new militancy in pro-Democray vigils

By Sara Farhang

TEHRAN (IPS/GIN) —Tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters ignored government warnings and gathered in Tehran's Baharestan Square in front of the Parliament building last week. They were met with some of the harshest violence seen since Iran's post-election turmoil erupted nearly two weeks ago.
"All of a sudden some 500 people with clubs ... came out of [a nearby mosque], and they poured into the streets and they started beating everyone," an unidentified woman told CNN, describing the scene as a "massacre."
"They beat a woman so savagely that she was drenched in blood, and her husband who was watching the scene, he just fainted," the witness said.
Indeed, despite the heavy use of force to disperse crowds and recent violence that has left hundreds injured and dead, women were present in high numbers at the square, as they have been throughout the crisis.
"I am so proud of Iranian women who show up for these protests," a female protester told IPS, who confirmed that women at the scene were targeted by security forces and were beaten violently with batons.
In fact, the presence of women at these protests has garnered much attention by surprised international observers. A recent video released on the internet captured the death of 27-year-old Neda Agha-Soltan, who was shot down by a Basij sniper as she exited a car on her way to a protest.
The murder of this young woman has incited anger and sympathy in Iran and internationally. Other women have reportedly been killed and injured in recent clashes with security officials and many have been arrested.
"I believe that women show up for these protests because they feel cheated and they want answers. They participated in the elections and were faced with fraud. They want their voices to be heard," says one 25-year-old woman who has attended most of the protests in the past two weeks.
"Their presence at these protests is a testament to the increased awareness of Iranian women," she adds.
In fact, at more than 60 percent, Iranian female university students outnumber their male counterparts. Iranian women are present in all aspects of social and professional life, as entrepreneurs, engineers, medical doctors, university professors and lawyers. Iran is home to one of the most vibrant women's movements in the region, dating back at least a century.
In recent years, women's rights activists have been working toward equal status under Iranian law, which is based on conservative interpretations of Sharia law, and as such accords a second-class status to women.
Nearly three years ago, Iranian women's rights activists launched the One Million Signatures Campaign to demand changes in discriminatory laws in the civil and penal codes.
The campaign seeks equality for women in marriage, right to divorce, custody of children, an increase in the age of criminal responsibility, and an end to polygamy among other changes. It seeks to collect one million signatures in support of a petition addressed to the Iranian parliament.
Activists use a face-to-face approach to educate and raise awareness among Iranian citizens. According to the site of the campaign, however, over 50 of its staff members have been arrested, or charged with national security crimes.
Still, their demands were echoed in the presidential campaigns, when three of the contesting candidates addressed the need to change discriminatory laws against women as part of their platforms.
The first to address this issue was Mehdi Karroubi, who promised to submit bills to parliament intent on reforming laws which discriminate against women. He also committed to appointing women as ministers.
Many women's rights activists along with human rights and student rights activists voted for Karroubi because of the progressive stance he took on human and civil rights.
Following Karroubi's announcement, Moussavi issued a comprehensive program on women as part of his election platform, in which he also committed to reforming discriminatory laws against women.
Mohsen Rezaie, the conservative presidential candidate, also took a position on women and committed to working for women's equality in society, which is a bold commitment coming from a conservative candidate.
While President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad made no campaign promises or even references to women's rights, his advisor on women's issues, Zohreh Tabibzadeh, who heads the Centre for Women and Families, appeared for two press conferences, a rare event indeed for a woman who has kept the press at arm's length for the duration of her tenure as the head of the agency responsible for devising programs addressing the needs of women.