Zohreh Vafaee - March 26, 2006
On March 8th, in honor of International Women's Day, various events and celebrations organized by women took place in Tabriz.
The first event was held on Friday, March 3rd, in collaboration with the Mother’s Home (Ana Ocağı) and Children’s Ilqar Group. During this event, participants reflected on the work accomplished in previous years, discussed plans for the year ahead, and made decisions for future initiatives. Poetry, music, and theatrical performances centered around women and mothers were presented by the Ilqar Group.
The second event took place on March 6th, featuring female poets, writers, and journalists. This gathering focused on the books, articles, and other written works produced in past years. At the same time, participants also discussed new decisions for the upcoming year, including strategies to support female journalists and women in the arts.
The third event was held on Wednesday, March 8th, at Eynali Mountain in Tabriz, organized by the Green Path Society (Yaşıl Yol Cəmiyyəti) and other women's groups. Nearly 400 women participated in this celebration. Several speakers from the Green Path Society addressed the gathering, reflecting on past achievements and reviewing their ongoing work. Catalogs were distributed to the participants, and after the event, women read their collective wishes and demands for March 8th, which were approved by the attendees.
The fourth event took place on Thursday, March 9th, organized by the Awake Girls Association (Ayıq Qızlar Dərnəyi). This six-hour event featured a variety of discussions, poetry, music, and Azerbaijani dance performances. The event culminated with the reading of a resolution on women’s demands, which was collectively approved, followed by the Azerbaijani anthem.
The fifth event occurred on Friday, March 10th, beginning with a morning hike to Aynali Mountain. Hundreds of women from various groups and fields participated, and families and hikers also joined the celebrations by distributing red flowers.
The sixth event took place on Friday, March 10th, in the evening at the Mother’s Home. During this event, participants engaged in discussions on topics including film, books, computers, women's rights, and international issues. At the conclusion, several women artists and workers were honored, and a collection of sculptures, images, and handicrafts related to March 8th was distributed among attendees.
Throughout the week, women in Tabriz also began collecting funds to help release three imprisoned women from Tabriz prison. Additionally, the efforts of women involved in activities such as meeting with children, visiting grandparents, organizing charity committees, and other initiatives were highlighted.
Approved Demands and Wishes:
- Equal rights and privileges in employment and education.
- Eliminate discrimination against women's rights.
- Reform work laws, insurance, inheritance, polygamy, marriage, and divorce laws.
- Implement insurance plans for women, particularly for heads of households, as soon as possible.
- Both men and women should enjoy equal social and civil rights.
- Protect women from religious, ethnic, and class discrimination.
- Demand that Iran join international conventions.
- Iran must accept and implement international women’s conventions and agreements, particularly those aimed at eliminating discrimination and torture.
It is hoped that next year’s March 8th celebrations will be even stronger and supported by more participants.
Link to the original Turkish text in Arabic script