On the 40th day of the attacks launched by the US and Israel against Iran on February 28, a two-week ceasefire was declared between the US and Iran. However, immediately after the decision, Israel’s intensive bombing of Lebanon escalated tensions in the region once again. 

 

The people of Iran and Rojhilat, promised nothing but pressure and war, continue their struggle against the regime. Especially since the Shah regime overthrown in 1979, women who have resisted for their freedom and rights made the slogan of female unity, the struggle “Jin, jiyan, azadî (Woman, life, freedom),” which marked the year 2022.

 

One of the names participating in actions spreading from Iran and Rojhilat to the whole world was also Sarina Esmaili, who was 16 years old during the actions. Sarine Esmaili spoke with us about the situation in the country and the women's struggle.

 

'IT CONTINUED UNTIL OUR DAY OF RESISTANCE'

 

Sarina Esmaili stated that the Mullah regime, which came to power in place of the Shah regime overthrown in 1979, tried to suppress the women's struggle. She said a religious-political system that directly affected women had been established. Giving examples of policies such as mandatory veiling, restrictions in work, education and daily life, limiting women to the roles of housewife and mother, and legal discrimination, Sarina Esmaili said that actions had started to be taken against these.

 

Sarina Esmaili, who stated that women have been struggling for a free social ground since the beginning of the regime, pointed out that Kurdish women have led this struggle. “An important point is that the women's struggle is not only political but also cultural and social. Therefore, ideological boundaries have been crossed. The slogan ‘Jin, jiyan, azadî’ born from within the Kurdish movement has turned into a symbol of struggle for all of Iran and even the world,” she said.   

 

Sarina Esmaili noted that women have made progress in education and professional life through their struggle, but state and social violence and control against women continue. She said that the Jin, jiyan, azadî protests have continued and turned into an international struggle despite arrests and killings. She also stressed that solidarity has formed among different social groups, and in Kurdistan, women have fought alongside men for women's rights and freedoms as well as the liberation of the peoples.

 

'PEOPLES HAVE BEEN CAUGHT BETWEEN REGIME AND WAR'

 

Noting that this women-led culture of resistance has attracted attention worldwide, Sarina Esmaili said that today peoples are caught between the regime and war. Sarina Esmaili said that although information from Iran is limited, families are living in fear, internet access is restricted, and household incomes have declined. She stated that both the authoritarian Islamic regime and nationalist pressures threaten security, and emphasized that as oppression increases, resistance and uprising become an “inevitable social necessity.” 

 

“If the regime changes, what kind of system will replace it and how much influence the people will have in this process will be decisive. Greater freedom may be possible, and women’s rights may be strengthened, but these are possibilities,” Sarina Esmaili said, adding that a difficult transition period will be experienced, and therefore women from all social segments need to organize and show solidarity.

 

She said that even if the regime does not change, political pressure will continue, and in response, women's struggle will also continue. Sarina Esmaili noted that the continuation of war and conflict would increase economic and social harm.

 

Sarina Esmaili concluded: “Ultimately, the women's struggle in Iran has moved from being individual to becoming collective. Because women have led fundamental struggles such as freedom, justice, human dignity, social equality, and universal concepts. The future of this struggle depends on political, economic, and social conditions, as well as the level of women's participation in all areas of governance. Women's participation in the struggle is vital for ensuring a true democracy.”

 

MA / Ceylan Sahinli