Women Are Central to Iran’s Pro-Democracy Movement

In the ongoing struggle for democracy in Iran, women have emerged as some of the most influential and unifying voices, championing secularism, equality and inclusive governance. Over the past 150 years, Iranian women have consistently played key roles in the country’s major political movements, from the Constitutional Revolution of 1906 and the oil nationalization movement in the 1950s, to the 1979 Revolution and the student uprisings of the early 2000s. Today, they are again at the forefront of a grassroots democratic movement, leading campaigns that directly challenge both the Islamic Republic and entrenched patriarchy across the political spectrum.