|
Women worldwide celebrate and are celebrated on International Women’s Day every 8 February. While women in Russia are presented with yellow mimosas and chocolate, their counterparts in Iran are banned from celebrating the annual holiday, reminded us that the struggle for women’s rights is far from over.
The Hague, 8 February 2008 - February has witnessed an intensification of Iranian persecution targeting women’s rights activists. This initiative is an attempt of intimidation by the Iranian government in the approach to International Women’s Day, celebrated annually on 8 March. “One Million Signatures Demanding Changes to Discriminatory Laws”, a campaign initiated by women’s rights activist in Iran, has resulted in the arrest and prosecution of numerous women for their petitioning efforts. In the last week of February 2008, two activists were detained, two summoned to court, and two others put on trial, all participants in the “One Million Signature” campaign.
While women represent over 60% of University admitted students in Iran, they still face severe discriminatory policies from the Iranian government that threaten their livelihood and reduce them to an inferior status.
In honour of International Women’s Rights Day, the international community released a statement in support of Iranian women endorsed by 289 representatives of civil society, women’s rights organizations and other organizations, including Marino Busdachin, General Secretary of UNPO. The signatories “call on the Iranian government immediately to halt repressive actions against women’s rights activists and to work together with them to make Iran a place where women and men enjoy equal rights, and a country that upholds international human rights laws and standards,” which is a standard that should equally apply in all nations worldwide.
Laws that discriminate against women still exist in almost every country in the world, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Louise Arbour said Friday 7 March 2008 in a speech on occasion of International Women’s Day. She points out the immediate need for states to review their laws and root out all occurrences of institutionalized inequalities.
International Women’s Day was first celebrated in the early 20th century. During that time, today’s most developing countries were in the height of industrialization and women were struggling to find their new role in the rapidly changing society. In the century that followed, women took increasingly prominent roles in both political and civil society. In UNPO, women have played a significant role in promoting and protecting the rights of its members, since its founding in 1991.
Millions of women worldwide will celebrate International Women’s Day on Saturday, but still many, such as the women of Iran, are prohibited from celebrating at all. UNPO extends its continued support to women in their endeavours to end social and legal discrimination that threatens their human rights. Additionally, UNPO expresses utmost appreciation for women worldwide who continue to struggle for peace and justice.
For more information on International Women’s Day:
http://www.internationalwomensday.com/about.asp
For More on the “One Million Signatures Campaign”:
http://www.we4change.info/english/ |
