Simin Sabri stated that the main issues faced by Southern women stem from a system based on Sharia law in Iran. According to her, the fear created by the dictatorial regime is one of the greatest obstacles to women's participation in the movement. She explained that this sense of fear keeps people from engaging in public activities, and women live in a situation where they face various forms of assault and pressure.
Simin Sabri also mentioned that the process of assimilation in Iran has affected the development of the women's movement. "We have intellectual and educated women who hold good positions, but we cannot attract them to the women's movement because they operate under the umbrella of the Iranian women's movement. Although they belong to the Turkish national group, they have been assimilated... our national rights are being trampled, and we cannot focus solely on defending women from sexual pressures," Sabri stated.
She noted that after receiving an education, women face societal stereotypes and are limited by traditional roles.
Simin Sabri also pointed out that the creation of an organization for Azerbaijani women in Iran remains a problematic issue. "When we talk about the Iranian women's movement, it specifically refers to Persian women, where you must speak Persian, and women representing Persian culture participate. If I present myself as an Azerbaijani Turkish woman, they would ask me to behave like them, ignoring the national issue," she added.
According to her, the Iranian women's movement should represent all national minorities in the country, including Azerbaijani Turks, Baluchis, Arabs, and Kurdish women. Simin Sabri emphasized that Southern women want to participate in the Iranian women's organization, where their identity as Azerbaijani Turks is recognized.
Link to the original interview in Turkish on the Azerbaijani section of Voice of America:
Simin Səbri: Güneyli qadınlar onların milli kimliyinin tanınmasını istəyir