Faranak Farid - March 18, 2008
On the occasion of International Women's Day, March 8th, various events and celebrations were held this year, focusing on the experiences and activism of Azerbaijani women. From marches and panel discussions in Tabriz and Urmia to international gatherings in California and Sweden, these events highlighted the intersection of gender, ethnicity, and nationality.
On the morning of Saturday, March 8, 2008, coinciding with International Women's Day, a group of women and female students, wearing white scarves as a symbol of peace and avoidance of violence, marched around the El-Goli pool. In this program, men also participated. The event included singing songs, reciting poetry in Turkish and Persian, reading articles about March 8, women's rights, and engaging in discussions about addressing women's issues, the importance of these issues, and the need to consider local conditions in different regions. The march attracted the attention of park-goers.
National Feminists' Celebration "Milletchi Qadınchilar" on March 8 at Eynali Mountain
A number of feminist students from Tabriz University held a march on March 8 at Eynali Mountain. They carried placards and sang the Azerbaijani national anthem at the mountain peak to commemorate the day.
March 8 Celebration at the Women's Dormitory of Urmia University
Despite facing pressure and threats, the "Qadınchilar" student group organized an event in the women's dormitory at Urmia University. The program, attended by several students, included speeches and articles on topics such as women, feminism, Azerbaijani women, national and gender issues, and hijab. At the end of the event, a summary of books on women and a special issue of "Çiltik," published at Tabriz University, was distributed. It is worth mentioning that since the June Uprising in Azerbaijan, the university authorities have strictly prevented the organization of such events, and students have resorted to holding them in dormitories.
March 8 and the Nationalist Voice of Azerbaijani Women
On Sunday, March 8, an event was organized by Turkish female students at Tabriz University to mark International Women's Day. Over 70 students attended the event, where articles and speeches were delivered on topics such as "The History of Feminism," "Feminism and Nationalism," and "Female Heroes of Azerbaijan." The ceremony concluded with a statement read by the organizers.
It should be noted that the university security forces were present throughout the event.
Cancellation of the "Faraso" Event
The Faraso Association, which had long been preparing panels to address women's issues in Tabriz and other regions of Azerbaijan, had planned a program for March 8. However, they were banned from holding the event despite having been in contact with writers, speakers, and other activists concerned with women's issues.
Çiltik Special Issue and Event at Tabriz University
"Çiltik" is the student magazine of the Islamic Association at the Faculty of Engineering, Tabriz University. In March 2008, a special issue was published for International Women's Day. All the content of this issue was collected and written by female students. The special issue was distributed among the participants at the event held at Tabriz University.
Special Issue of the Internal Magazine of Edaarat-e-Tahkim-e-Vahdat on International Women's Day
The Women's Committee of Tahkim-e-Vahdat in Tabriz dedicated the internal magazine of Edaarat-e-Tahkim-e-Vahdat (East Azerbaijan Branch) to a special issue on women. This issue contained various articles on women, including: the Iranian women's movement, Azerbaijani women, the impact of laws on women's lives, women's rights in Iran, gender and nationality, and the Azerbaijani woman.
 |
March 8th Celebration by the Feminist School and the Iranian Women's Association, Addressing the Issues and Demands of Azerbaijani Women
.jpg) |
| Faranak Farid's speech at the Feminist School and the Iranian Women's Association in Tehran. |
This event was held on the evening of Sunday, March 9, 2008, with four panels and more than 150 participants in Tehran. In one of the panels, which focused on examining the achievements, problems, and demands of women from different regions of the country, Frank Farid, a women's rights activist from Tabriz, also participated. After wishing a happy March 8th in Azerbaijani, she first highlighted the increasing violence against women and, in particular, the rising cases of women seeking divorce—mainly due to the unfair divorce laws in the region—and emphasized the need to address the root causes of these issues.
She spoke about the One Million Signatures Campaign as a successful initiative, noting that Tabriz was the first city to join the campaign in the early stages, in September. However, most of the signatures were collected by individuals who did not attend the workshops. While the signature collection reached its peak, it faced setbacks due to various factors, including the crackdown in Tehran and the attempt to overshadow women's demands by the increasing ethnic demands. She pointed out that ethnic demands are also censored by the women's movement. "We cannot leave part of ourselves behind and join one of these two movements; much of our energy is spent proving ourselves to these movements. The national movement should not expect women to abandon their legal demands, and the women's movement should not ignore our ethnic demands."
She also mentioned that there are now two trends in the women's movement in Azerbaijan: one group emphasizes the independence of the women's movement, while another wants the women's movement to be part of other movements and currents.
She further discussed the hierarchical structure of the women's movement in Iran, where Tehran is at the top and other regions are marginalized. She explained that solving this issue requires the attention and cooperation of both sides, as well as sharing experiences.
Speech at the Peace Mothers Gathering in Tehran
 |
| Eggs decorated to commemorate International Women's Day. |
At the Peace Mothers gathering, Frank Farid spoke about the peace-promoting role of mothers and how women and mothers can be effective in building democratic bridges to reduce tensions. She pointed out the problems faced by women in peripheral regions and the fact that ignoring the rights of ethnic groups, languages, and non-dominant cultures in the present century has intensified tensions in various parts of the country. She called on the peace-seeking mothers to take this issue seriously and not to deny it, as denying it would only worsen the situation. Her speech was met with both agreement and disagreement.
International Mother Language Day and International Women's Day in California
 |
| Dr. Sedigheh Adalati |
International Mother Language Day and International Women's Day were celebrated at an event organized by the Azerbaijani Cultural Association, "Azerbaijan Kulturnu Ocağı," in San Jose, California. The program, attended by many Azerbaijanis from near and far, began with a piano performance by the famous pianist Chingiz Sadykhov, followed by poetry readings.
The speaker of the event was Dr. Sedigheh Adalati, a sociologist from Germany. She spoke in two parts—first on the relationship between learning the mother tongue and mental development, emphasizing the importance of the mother tongue in education. She discussed how the prohibition of the mother tongue leads to mental and emotional problems, and referred to research showing the negative effects of this prohibition on individuals' cognitive and personality development.
In the second part of her speech, Dr. Adalati addressed the importance of women's participation in social movements and the national issue. She discussed the cultural barriers to women's participation, stating that no social movement will succeed without women's social and political involvement. She particularly emphasized the importance of active women's participation in decision-making, noting that without women's participation, any political movement would be completely male-dominated and would not represent half of the society, distancing itself from democratic norms.
International Women's Day in Sweden and Special Program for Azerbaijanis
 |
| Commemoration of International Women's Day in Sweden by the Azerbaijani Diaspora Community Women. |
March 8th served as a bridge for Swedish women and nationalities from various countries to come together in Malmö, Sweden, with over 500 participants. Farahruz Ranjbar, originally from Urmia and residing in Sweden, was one of the founders and active organizers of this event. The program, accompanied by music and local food, included Ranjbar's speech and the message of Azerbaijani women, which was well-received by the attendees. To avoid repeating what other Iranian women had said about the activities of women and the One Million Signatures Campaign, she focused on the activities of the campaign in Azerbaijan and the challenges faced there, stressing that Iran is not just Tehran. She mentioned that while Tabriz carpets are famous in Sweden, people don't know the people from this region, who face ethnic discrimination. Unfortunately, women's activities and demands have little space among identity-driven movements.
On her suggestion, a five-colored scarf was prepared to symbolize the five continents and to show symbolic support for human rights, women's rights, children's rights, the environment, and animal rights. This scarf was worn by the event organizers.
