This year’s March 8 arrives as Iran passes through the most decisive chapter of its contemporary history. Iranian women, who before the upheaval of 1...
This year’s March 8 arrives as Iran passes through the most decisive chapter of its contemporary history.
Iranian women, who before the upheaval of 1979 enjoyed many rights and freedoms under the law, lost a large portion of those rights and liberties with the establishment of the Islamic Republic. Yet over the past forty-seven years, they have never laid down the banner of the struggle against discrimination and injustice, and have consistently stood at the forefront of resistance against this regime.
International Women’s Day reminds us of the courage of women who stood firm in the streets and universities, in their homes and workplaces, and even in prison and exile — women who paid the price of this steadfastness by putting their lives and futures at risk, and who today, in Iran’s national Lion and Sun Revolution, fight shoulder to shoulder with men for the liberation of the homeland.
In the free, democratic, prosperous, and flourishing Iran of tomorrow, all citizens — regardless of gender — will be equal before the law. Women and men, not in opposition to one another but alongside each other, will build a bright future for the generations to come. Iranian women, who have been pioneers in the struggle for freedom, will also play a decisive role in the day after liberation — in rebuilding the country, strengthening democratic institutions, and advancing Iran’s economic and cultural flourishing.
On this March 8, I honor the memory and the names of all the women who fought for Iran’s freedom and, through courage and sacrifice, kept the flame of hope alive. I have faith that the path of the Lion and Sun Revolution will ultimately lead to the radiant dawn of freedom and justice in Iran.
Long live Iran,
Reza Pahlavi
