From November 25 to December 10, a global campaign against violence toward women is being held in countries worldwide. The central focus of this international campaign is ensuring gender equality. In countries like Iran, where the human rights situation is poor, the condition of women is particularly concerning. Southern Azerbaijani psychiatrist Simin Sabri, who lives in Norway, actively addresses the issues faced by women and girls in Iranian Azerbaijan. In a Skype interview with Voice of America, she spoke about the challenges women and girls face in Iranian Azerbaijan and the obstacles to achieving gender equality in society.
According to Simin Sabri, the physical, emotional, and psychological violence experienced by women is rooted in the prevailing atmosphere of fear, a lack of self-confidence among people, and widespread illiteracy. She noted that in Iran, which is governed by Sharia law, violations of civil rights, minority rights, and the rights of women and children are widespread. Sabri discussed how girls are treated differently than boys in male-dominated traditional societies. According to her, in underdeveloped countries, these practices are so common that they are perceived as normal by society. She explained that this leads to a situation where men feel entitled to treat women however they wish.
"This allows men to view women as objects and creates a foundation for such behaviors," Sabri stated. She explained that men want women to live the way they dictate, and when women resist, they often face violence from men.
Simin Sabri pointed out that physical violence against women often occurs in front of children, emphasizing that this is intended to instill fear.
Additionally, she highlighted the economic pressures faced by women in underdeveloped countries, where they are poorly represented in the workforce. According to her, this means that women are almost entirely economically dependent on men.
Sabri also noted that in traditional societies, girls are subjected to degrading treatment from an early age, which has become normalized. This, she argued, leads to the restriction of women's roles in society and limits opportunities available to them.
Link to the original interview in Turkish on the Azerbaijani section of Voice of America:
Simin Səbri: Güneydə də bütün ənənəvi cəmiyyətlərdə olduğu kimi qadının seçimləri məhduddur