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| Azam Ahmadi, PhD |
In an interview with VOA, researcher Azam Ahmadi discussed the challenges and difficulties faced by women, youth, and adolescents who have been at the forefront of weeks-long mass protests in Iran.
According to Ahmadi, in addition to years of oppression and pressure women have faced due to anti-women laws and policies of the Islamic Republic, women have encountered new difficulties in their daily lives as a result of worsening economic conditions and changes in societal lifestyles in recent years.
Azam Ahmadi emphasizes that women face "humiliation in all areas of life, with the state facilitating this environment":
“We see that women are constantly humiliated in their daily lives. On one hand, the state marginalizes them and removes their access to healthcare services. On the other hand, we observe attitudes towards women in news reports, showing how the state supports these views. In cases of crimes and violence against women, the perpetrators are not held accountable. They derive confidence from the law, knowing they won’t be punished because the law won’t hold them accountable.”
Highlighting the violence inflicted by the morality patrols overseeing women’s attire, Ahmadi states: “The guidance patrols interfere with women’s clothing on the streets, insulting them. They arrest women, force them into vans, and even drag their mothers behind these vehicles. Eventually, a corpse emerges from one of the centers where the women are taken. Women who don’t comply with their imposed dress standards are barred from entering banks and government offices.”
Economic downturns in Iran, according to Ahmadi, also disproportionately affect women compared to men:
“The economic situation in Iran is not good. Poor economic conditions impact women first. In other words, women are among the groups most immediately affected by a failing economy. Their education is disrupted. When education falters, child marriages increase. Women are the first to lose their jobs and are the least likely to be hired during recruitment processes. The Iranian state, losing its economic strength, demonstrates this by cutting services provided to women first.”
The researcher believes that in recent years, as lifestyles in Iran have changed, the number of women impacted by anti-women laws has increased.
“Changes in lifestyles and values have led to an increase in divorce rates. On one hand, this could be seen as positive, as women are no longer enduring unacceptable and harsh conditions. However, when they encounter the judicial process, they realize how outdated and anti-women the cultural laws in Iran are. Another issue is the nearly 100-year-old law dating back to Reza Shah’s era, which prohibits married women from leaving the country without their husband’s permission. In recent years, the number of women seeking to leave Iran for work, education, or marriage abroad has increased. This means more women are now encountering problems because of this law. Some issues that weren’t considered significant problems 20 years ago have become major challenges today because more people are now subjected to these discriminatory laws and regulations.”
Link to the original interview in Turkish on the Azerbaijani section of Voice of America:
Əzəm Əhmədi: Həyat tərzi dəyişdikcə İslam Respublikasının qanunlarından əziyyət çəkən qadınların sayı artır