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Equal Rights Now -Organization Against Women’s Discrimination in Iran

“Equal Rights Now- Organization Against Women’s Discrimination in Iran” struggles for freedom and emancipation of women, abolishing sexual discrimination, and equality between women and men in all areas. In Iran, despite the atrocities of the Islamic regime and routine and brutal violation of the most basic women’s rights and freedoms, there is a widespread social movement against sexual oppression, sexual apartheid, compulsory Islamic veiling, misogynist laws and regulations on every arena from the streets and schools to factories and universities, and in art and culture.

Equal Rights Now, belongs to this movement and sets organizing and unifying this movement as its immediate task. Our goal is abolition of sexual discrimination and achieving complete equality between women and men in all legal, social, economic, political, and cultural areas.

Equal Rights Now also belongs to the international struggle for the emancipation of women from all forms of inequality and discrimination. Its victory in Iran depends on this international solidarity.

Equal Rights Now has the following on its agenda:

1-Ending any form of discrimination against women; abolishing any form of oppression, humiliation, and deprivation of rights against women; achieving true and complete equality between women and men in society.

2-Separation of religion from the state and from education. De-religionization of society and all social affairs of people. Patriarchy, subjugation and humiliation of women are among the bases of all religions; religious laws, by their nature, are in total contrast with women’s rights and freedoms. In a society where religion and religious laws interfere with state, education system, and social affairs of people women cannot be free.

3-Fighting against patriarchy and all forms of religious, backward, and misogynist traditions. Under the rule of the Islamic Republic these traditions have been massively strengthened, have become legalized and have been used as an oppressive apparatus against women. Abolition of veil, freedom in dress, and absolute abolition of sexual apartheid are the three immediate demands of libertarian women and men in Iran; Equal Rights Now fully supports these demands and the ongoing struggle for their realization.

4-Uniting and unifying the women’s freedom movement around egalitarian, radical, maximalist and secular demands. Criticizing and deciphering political movements and organizations, which flirt with religion and yield to religious laws and legal systems and thus turn to obstacles on the way to emancipation of women.

5-Striving to build open organizations around women’s particular demands in different areas and bringing a line of radical, continuous, and resolute leaders to the forefront through conducting political campaigns for immediate demands and problems of women’s freedom movement in Iran.

6-Introducing the women’s freedom movement in Iran to the world; obtaining the support of international activists of women freedom movement, leftwing, progressive, and libertarian forces, movements, and activists. Equal Rights Now considers participation in secularist movement and the struggle against political Islam on an international scale as an important area of its activity.

Maryam Namazie and Mina Ahadi are the spokespersons, Mahin Alipour is the general secretary, Zari Asli, Mitra Daneshi, Shahla Daneshfar, Sohaila Sharifi, Mahboubeh Siyahmardi, Mercede Qaedi, Asqar Karimi, Fereshteh Moradi, Mahnaz Masouri, Manouchehr Masouri, Shahnaz Morattab, and Shiva Mahboubi are the members of central council of Equal Rights Now.

Equal Rights Now has a periodical in Farsi and a TV program that can be viewed in Iran, the Middle East and in Europe.

The sexual apartheid regime in Iran should be isolated; it should be replaced with a secular state that guarantees equal rights of women and men and unconditioned freedom of people. Strengthening international solidarity with the struggle of people for equality between women and men and forming a widespread international movement against the sexual apartheid regime in Iran is an important goal of us on global scale and is an important factor in strengthening women’s freedom and emancipation movement in Iran. We call on all women’s rights advocates, women rights organizations and all secularists to join this international effort and to support the widespread struggle for freedom and equality in Iran.

Support Equal Rights Now in every possible way!

No to Discrimination!

No to Islamic Veil!

No to Sexual Apartheid!

Long Live Freedom and Equality!