Nobel Women's Initiative

In July, responding to the intense crack-down on women's rights activists in Iran, Iranian Nobel Peace Laureate Shirin Ebadi wrote to the Honorable Ms. Louise Arbour, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, appealing for a United Nations delegation to visit Iran to investigate the status of women who have been arrested and sentenced, as well as look into dangerous state of affairs for women's rights defenders in general. Government authorities have arrested dozens of students and activists and some have been sentenced to more than 3 years in prison and lashes for erroneous charges ranging from endangering national security to propaganda against the state to taking part in an illegal gathering.

Dr. Ebadi's letter stated, Sentencing women to jail and slashes who are against men having the right to more than one wife, or blood-money for women being half that of a man, or the fact that two women witnesses in the court of law count as one male witness... is against the standards of human rights... All these people were asking for was to ban such discriminations in favor of women. To have the right to be as equal as men in society... The painful point is that those sentenced are not going to be the only ones charged. I am sure that in the near future harsh sentences will face others as well. Hence, I announce to you my deep concern regarding the fate of these fellow Iranians. Please send a delegate to Iran to inspect the situation regarding women's rights in Iran.

U.N. should probe women's rights in Iran, Reuters, 27 August 2007

U.N. rights chief meets with activists in Tehran, Radio Free Europe, 4 September 2007

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The Nobel Women's Initiative sent the following letter to High Commissioner Louise Arbour in support of their sister laureate Shirin Ebadi and all women in Iran.

The Honorable Louise Arbour
United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights

Dear Commissioner Arbour,
We women Nobel Peace Laureates of the Nobel Women's Initiative are writing in support of a letter recently sent to you by Nobel Peace Laureate Dr. Shirin Ebadi. In her letter, Dr. Ebadi outlined the dangerous circumstances facing women activists in Iran and appealed for a United Nations delegation to Iran to investigate the situation of women's rights defenders.

We fully support Dr Ebadi's request and wish to reiterate the immediate need for such an investigation. Together with Dr. Ebadi, the Nobel Women's Initiative has supported the efforts of women's rights defenders in Iran during the past year, most notably their grassroots movement calling for gender equality in Iranian law. In recent months, however, we have become deeply concerned about the safety and well being of activists inside the country. As Dr. Ebadi described in her letter, several women have been arrested and sentenced to long term jail time and lashes, solely for organizing peaceful resistance and speaking out against laws discriminatory to women.

We urge you to use your good offices to ensure activists inside Iran are allowed to continue their work defending women's rights according to international law and Iranian constitutional law. We second Dr. Ebadi's request for a United Nations investigation into the treatment of human and women's rights defenders and ask for your support and assistance facilitating a United Nations delegation as soon as possible.

Thank you for your attention to this most serious matter.

Signed 17 July 2007:

Betty Williams
Mairead Corrigan Maguire
Rigoberta Menchu Tum
Jody Williams
Wangari Maathai

 

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On June 12th, a peaceful demonstration of Iranian men and women in Tehran, held to call for an end to discriminatory laws against women, turned violent as police used force to disperse the gathering. A number of women and girls were beaten and 70 people, including 28 men, were arrested. Policewomen were used for the first time, pitting women against women.

Update
Most of the detainees have been released, yet Ali Akbar Mousavi Khoini, head of the Alumni Association of Iran, a former student leader and Member of Parliament who has been a leading critic of the government's human rights practices for several years, remains in detention.

Shirin Ebadi is now Mr. Mousavi Khoini's attorney and reports that he remains in prison without permission to see visitors. He is ill and needs his medication. Ebadi has also accepted the case of some of the women who were beaten and imprisoned following the June 12 demonstration.

Take Action

Send a message to the Iranian authorities in support of the demonstrators demanding equality of men and women before the law, and call on the Iranian government to release Ali Akbar Mousavi Khoini immediately and unconditionally. Urge an end to the persecution of nonviolent activists and an investigation into the police beatings.

NWI Statement of Support
A peaceful demonstration of Iranian men and women on June 12th in Tehran, held to call for an end to discriminatory laws against women, turned violent as police used force to disperse the gathering. A number of women and girls were beaten and 70 people, including 28 men, were arrested.

Some prominent women activists were summoned to court and the police attacked their homes. Earlier, The Nobel Women's Initiative, other international organizations, such as Amnesty International, and individual human and women's rights activists had expressed public support ahead of this demonstration. All of those detained have subsequently been released except for one. Cases are still pending against some activists.

We women Nobel Peace Prize Laureates condemn this act of violence carried out by the police force, particularly the attacks of policewomen, against citizens who had merely gathered together peacefully to call for their legal rights. We believe such attempts to use women against women are a manifestation of an oppressive patriarchal system which cultivates a culture of fear.

We welcome and encourage men's support of women's demands for equality. We urge the immediate release of the remaining detainee, an end to the persecution of nonviolent activists and an investigation into the police beatings. The struggle for women's rights in Iran will be mighty but will prevail. We will continue to support our courageous Iranian sisters and brothers until such time.

For links to more information and photos click here.

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Read the Latest News on Women's Rights.

Read about issues directly affecting the rights of women at our Women's Rights Issues page.

Take Action for Women's Rights.

 

Read more »

A peaceful demonstration of Iranian women on June 12th in Tehran, held to call for an end to discriminatory laws against women, turned violent as police used force to disperse the gathering. A number of women and girls were beaten and 70 people, including 28 men, were arrested.

Some prominent women activists were summoned to court and the police attacked their homes. Earlier, The Nobel Women's Initiative, other international organizations, such as Amnesty International, and individual human and women's rights activists had expressed public support ahead of this demonstration. All of those detained have subsequently been released except for one. Some cases are still pending against some activists.

We women Nobel Peace Prize Laureates condemn this act of violence carried out by the police force, particularly the attacks of policewomen, against citizens who had merely gathered together peacefully to call for their legal rights. We believe such attempts to use women against women are a manifestation of an oppressive patriarchal system which cultivates a culture of fear. We welcome and encourage men's support of women's demands for equality. We urge the immediate release of the remaining detainee, an end to the persecution of nonviolent activists and an investigation into the police beatings. The struggle for women's rights in Iran will be mighty but will prevail. We will continue to support our courageous Iranian sisters and brothers until such time.

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June 12 demonstration in Tehran. Photo by www.kosoof.com

Links to additional photos:

kosoof.com

axt.blogfa.com

Links to related news articles:

Radio Free Europe

BBC

Payvand

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Letter of support prior to June 12

We women Nobel Peace Prize laureates together with our Iranian sisters oppose laws and regulations discriminating against women in Iran. We praise our sisters' struggle in the path of reforming these laws and thus support the gathering of Iranian women on the 22nd of Khordad 1385 (12th of June 2006) convened with this aim.

Shirin Ebadi, Iran
Jody Williams, United States
Betty Williams, Ireland
Wangari Maathai, Kenya
Rigoberta Menchú Tum

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Download the pdf of the Nobel Women's Initiative letter of support in Farsi here.

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