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| Amir Mardani |
Amir Mardani, highlighting the growing mass movement of women fighting for equal rights in Iran, asserts that the "Azerbaijan National Movement" has not projected a positive image regarding women's issues.
In an interview with Voice of America, the Southern Azerbaijani journalist and national activist evaluated the expanding women's movement in Iran and discussed women's participation in the national movement.
He believes that women’s struggles in Iran could evolve into a large-scale uprising:
“This movement has reached a stage where a general uprising could emerge. We are seeing not only activists affiliated with organizations but also ordinary citizens joining the protests. The women’s movement has now become a mass movement.”
However, the Turkish activist criticizes the “Azerbaijan National Movement” for failing to present a positive stance on women’s issues. He argues that this failure is inconsistent with the essence of a national movement.
“When we speak of a National Movement, it includes the rights of women, workers—essentially the entire nation. That is the definition. Looking at the definition of a National Movement, there should be no issue here. In fact, women’s issues should be more prominently on the agenda... But unfortunately, we face problems in implementing this. The national movement has limited itself to certain demands rather than encompassing all rights and demands. This has created a negative perception of the national movement,” says the Turkish activist.
Amir Mardani evaluates the role of women in the student movement in South Azerbaijan as an example.
“In recent years, there have been some changes in the participation of women among student activists. While the numbers may not have increased significantly, there has been a qualitative change. From a nationalist perspective, women’s participation has grown, but the undemocratic image of the movement has caused women’s movement forces to distance themselves,” he explains.
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“The reason for women’s distancing is that they cannot find a place within the national movement to express their voices... We can see this most clearly among those outside the country. Abroad, there are no pressures from cultural traditions or the Islamic Republic of Iran, yet even there, the participation of women in the national movement and their alignment with it is very limited,” Mardani adds.
Link to the original interview in Turkish on the Azerbaijani section of Voice of America:
Əmir Mərdani: Qadınlar milli hərəkatda sözlərini deməyə yer tapmırlar