International Women’s Day, first commemorated in the early 20th century in the United States and later in other countries, has its roots in the historical struggles of women for equal rights, fair working conditions, and the right to vote. Over the decades, this day has become a symbol of women’s resistance and perseverance against inequality at various levels, serving as a platform to emphasize gender justice and eliminate discrimination against women worldwide.
In Iran, March 8 has always been a reminder of women’s struggles against discriminatory laws and structures. For decades, Iranian women have fought for their fundamental rights, from advocating for equal rights in marriage, divorce, child custody, inheritance, and employment to demanding freedom of dress. Women’s rights movements and protests in Iran, particularly the Women, Life, Freedom movement, have once again demonstrated that women are at the forefront of the fight for freedom and equality, making their voices one of the most significant forces for change in the country. Despite the undeniable reality that women as a whole suffer oppression and inequality under the Islamic Republic’s legal and jurisprudential system, this deprivation and discrimination take on an intersectional dimension for women belonging to ethnic, linguistic, and religious minorities.
Among them, Kurdish women face compounded oppression and multilayered discrimination. They are subjected to legal, cultural, and customary pressures not only because they are women but also due to their ethnic, linguistic, and religious identity. Iran’s legal system, which restricts women’s rights in many areas, creates additional complexities for Kurdish women. Family law in Iran does not follow a single legal framework; rather, it is subject to the doctrine of personal status, meaning it is determined by an individual’s religious affiliation. Since the majority of Kurdish women follow the Shafe’i Faith of Sunni Islam, they are often excluded from the general provisions of family law concerning marriage, divorce, and inheritance, suffering from an additional layer of discrimination.
This issue becomes even more complicated because Shafe’i jurisprudence has never been systematically codified in Iran, leaving no unified legal text governing personal status matters. As a result, family courts typically refer cases to local religious councils (shuras) of clerics in various cities without making substantive legal interventions. These clerics, without any formal legal oversight, issue religious rulings, which are then enforced as judicial decisions by family court judges. This overlooked legal structure has trapped many Kurdish women in an endless cycle of legal injustice.
Avoiding generalized slogans and guided by a commitment to comprehensive research, Hana Human Rights Organization has launched a project this year to examine the impact of the Women, Life, Freedom movement on family law, particularly the right to equal marriage and divorce for Kurdish women. This project, conducted in accordance with international human rights standards, seeks to shed light on the legal and social dimensions of structural discrimination against Kurdish women and to propose practical solutions for addressing these injustices.
March 8 is not only a day to commemorate women’s struggles but also an opportunity to reaffirm our responsibility to continue this path. Hana Human Rights Organization, alongside all Kurdish and Iranian women fighting for their rights, remains committed to the pursuit of equality and justice.
Hana Human Rights Organization
March 8, 2025