Institute for Women's Empowerment (IWE) -Iran

Stop state violence against women in Iran!

Background 

The Islamic Republic of Iran is perpetrating state violence against women, often using religious pretexts to justify such violence affecting women regardless of their backgrounds . State violence against women takes place on the streets  committed by Basij (State-sanctioned religious police);  in courts  - when State violence take the form of legal codification that defies the very standards that Iran has committed itself to; and in jails – wen it become part of the method of extracting confessions in jail, with rape condoned as a means of torture.   Indeed anywhere in the regime.  

All women in Iran are affected by actual or potential state violence. Ubiquitous state violence creates a suffocating atmosphere of fear, because it can befall any woman at any time. Even men who are dissenters are also liable to be raped in prison. State violence is an important means for breeding a politics of intimidation and fear, which is the mode of governance used by the current Iranian regime. 

Furthermore, the Iranian regime is using culture and religion to justify state violence against women.  This is a particularly dangerous mode of legitimation that claims that the state is just obeying supposedly divine commands in inflicting such violence for which it bears no responsibility.

This campaign by the Institute for Women’s  Empwoerment (IWE)- Iran focuses particularly on state violence.

Objectives

The campaign goal is to mobilise public opinion, both national and international, to stop Iranian state violence against women.

The campaign will build an e-broadcasting website with blog function. This is the most effective way of reaching women in Iran and for them to report violations. It is now difficult and dangerous to women to meet face-to-face in Iran. This makes tools such as street theatre unfeasible.

All mainstream media, such as TV and Radio, are government controlled. So radio drama is also unfeasible.

Cyber-space has become the alternative space for civil society in Iran. Statistics of the Iranian Ministry of Information Technology indicate that more than 23 million persons out of a total population of 70 million can access the Internet, and that fifty percent of these Internet users are using broadband. Women form a significant proportion of Internet users in Iran, although government statistics do not provide gender-disaggregated information. For this reason, the most comprehensive and critical alternative media available to Iranians are based outside Iran, with anti-filtering software a necessity for bypassing government control.

For this reason, a secure website with documentary films and blog function is the most appropriate tool. Moreover, there is a need to provide the information in Farsi and English. So a website is best suited for multiple languages. Through the website, online petitions can also be organised.

By having content that is reported through first-hand interviews and citizens’ uploads, this site will be able to attract a large number of viewers. For viewers and users in Iran, the security of the website will be very important. Thus considerable attention will be given to ensuring this. For the same reason of security, tools such as Facebook and Twitter are not be appropriate.

Contact

Mahboubeh Abbasgholizeh - mab.ngotc@gmail.com
Vivienne Wee - viviennewee@gmail.com