Iran's young women and girls are changemakers

NCRI Women's Committee

Just a few days ago, the world marked the 10th anniversary of the International Day for the Girl.

Although the world has paid increased attention to the issues that matter to girls, investments in girls’ rights remain limited and girls continue to confront a myriad of challenges to fulfilling their potential.

With adversity, however, comes resourcefulness, creativity, tenacity, and resilience. The world's girls have shown time and time again that given the skills and the opportunities, they can be the change makers.

So, today, young women and girls in Iran have taken to the streets to decide the fate of their country and bring about change.

The NCRI Women’s Committee had earlier described Iranian girls as the most innocent victims of the clerical regime’s brutal gender discrimination in Iran. Most news about them concerns violence, suicide, forced child marriages, school dropouts, malnutrition, lack of medical care, and child laborers.

How does that relate to the young women and girls who are leading the way during Iran protests?

At the first glance, there seems to be a contradiction at work. But as was just mentioned, with adversity comes resourcefulness, creativity, tenacity, and resilience.

Women have borne the brunt of repression under the mullahs’ rule, and among them, the girl child is the most innocent victim.

Deprived of many of their rights, these young women and girls are like a compressed spring full of energy and power when released. They make up a potent force.

And this is what’s happening in Iran, today. Women are leading and inspiring the protests and injecting their energy to others. And again, you see that young girls are the most outspoken and the bravest. The fact that young girls are coming out of their schools, marching on the streets and calling for the regime’s overthrow, is a clear indication of the deep-seated, widespread discontent in society for schoolchildren and girls to come out like this.

These girls are very brave. They are at the forefront of the protests, countering the security forces with bare hands. The fact that so many young women and girls are among those slain during the protests is itself an indication of the widespread and extensive participation of young women and girls in the protests that seek regime change.