FT: United in support of Iranian women

By Mahboubeh Abbasgholizadeh

Published: March 28 2007 03:00 Last updated: March 28 2007 03:00

From 35 Iranian, Iraqi and British women academics, activists and politicians.

Sir, Once again Iran is in the news. While the US has learnt nothing from the invasion of Iraq and continues its posturing with Iran, Iranian women have certainly heeded a few lessons. Their active struggle for gender equality is now exacerbated by concerns about military attacks and how external threats are used as a pretext further to limit their space for building a stronger women's movement.

Meanwhile in Iraq, girls' and young women's attendance at schools and universities is in rapid decline owing to security fears; the war and occupation have left the economy in tatters; and women are the first to suffer from lack of education and employment and to be pushed back to their homes to perform domestic duties. All this is compounded by the Iraqi government bringing in new discriminatory legislation.

Across the border in Iran, women from all backgrounds now make up more than 60 per cent of university entrants. Iran's women's movement is now challenging the system that leaves many of these graduates jobless, by demanding a change in discriminatory laws.

Through a national coalition of leading civil society women activists, students and democratic forces, they are struggling to change discriminatory laws to enhance dialogue, collaboration and democratic action. It is a bumpy road to travel, with leading members arrested in the run-up to International Women's Day protests and released only after a few days, yet the movement grows daily: something only a war could stop.

We, the undersigned, as women activists, academics and politicians, condemn any threat of and actual military action against Iran and support the Iranian women's campaign.

Mahboubeh Abbasgholizadeh (Director, NGO Training Centre, Tehran), Shadi Sadr (Lawyer, Tehran), Prof Elaheh Koolaee(University of Tehran), Fatemeh Farhangkhah (The Society for Protection of Handicapped Children and Youth NGO, Tehran), Dr Fatemeh Sadeghi (Academic, Tehran), Lily Farhadpour (Writer and journalist, Tehran), Maryam Ommi (Student and NGO Training Centre, Tehran), Mahsa Shekarloo (Badjens.com, Women's Website, Tehran), Prof Haleh Afshar (York University), Prof Homa Hoodfarm (Women Living Under Muslim Laws WLUML), Roudabeh Shafie (Anti-War Campaigner), Dr Mehri Honarbin-Holliday (Kent University), Dr Ziba Mir-Hosseini (The London Middle East Institute), Dr Elaheh Rostami-Povey (School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London), Dr Laleh Khalili (School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London), Mahnaz Razavi (Consultant Psychotherapist), Dr Nadjie Ali (University of Exeter), Tahrir Abdul Samad Swift (Arab Media Watch), Fenik Adham (Counsellor) Salma Yaqoob (Councillor), Rania Khan (Councillor), Yvonne Ridley (Journalist and author), Clare Short MP, Lynne Featherstone MP, Lynne Jones MP, Jean Lambert MEP, Lindsey German (Stop The War Coalition), Jane Shallise (Stop The War Coalition), Dr Ayesha Imam (WLUML, Senegal), Prof Fatou Sow (Université Diderot Paris, WLUML), Sultana Kamal (WLUML, Bangladesh), Farida Shaheed (Shirkat Gah and WLUML Pakistan), Codou Bop (WLUML, regional office, Senegal), Zarizana Abdul Aziz (WLUML, Malaysia), Prof Nayereh Tohidi (California State University),

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