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"One Million Signatures" Campaign: Demanding an End to Discriminatory Laws Against Women in Iran
Read more about the history of the campaign
Iranian women’s rights activists are fighting gender apartheid through the “One Million Signatures” campaign, which aims to collect one million signatures to demand an end to discriminatory laws against women. At present, men have the sole right to divorce and except in special cases, the right to custody of children. One man’s testimony equals that of two women. And certain positions, such as that of a judge, are closed to women. The campaign is a continuation of Iranian women’s century-long struggle for gender equality.
Four Members of One Million Signatures Campaign Sentenced to Six Months Mandatory Prison
September 3, 2008
| SUPPORT IRANIAN WOMEN |
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Sign the petition and help them reach their goal of one million signatures to end discriminatory laws against women.
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Change for Equality: Four members of the One Million Signatures Campaign have been sentenced to serve a six months mandatory prison term. Parvin Ardalan, Maryam Hosseinkhah, Nahid Keshavarz and Jelve Javaheri were charged with security charges in relation to their activities on the site of Change for Equality the official site of the Campaign and Zanestan the webzine of the Women’s Cultural Center. The six month mandatory sentence was issued by the 13th branch of the Revolutionary Courts and based on Article 500 of the Islamic Penal Code.
Shirin Ebadi the lawyer representing these women’s rights activists announced that: "you cannot sentence anyone based on the crime of expression of their opinion." She went on the say that they will appeal the sentence.
Maryam Hosseinkhah was arrested in November 2007 and served 45 days in prison in relation to this case and Jelve Javaheri was arrested in December and served 30 days in relation this case.
Support Iranian Women on their National Day of Solidarity
June 2, 2008
Iranian women's rights activists are calling for international support in observance of the June 12, 2006 demonstrations. Two years ago on this day, activists organized a peaceful protest demanding the revision of discriminatory laws against women in Iran. Seventy people were arrested during the gathering and continue to this day to be summoned, charged, arrested and sentenced for peaceful activism. June 12th has since been chosen by Iranian women’s rights activists as their national day of solidarity to object harmful actions which attempt to silence Iranian women.
| SUPPORT IRANIAN WOMEN |
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Sign the "One Million Signatures" campaign petition calling for an end to discriminatory laws against women such as men's uncontested right to divorce, polygamy, and child custody.
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Please read the following "Statement in Support of Iranian Women" and send your personal or organizational support for the women’s rights activists who are fighting for their basic human rights against all odds. Please send emails to wlp@learningpartnership.org and hadighaemi@iranhumanrights.org. For more information about the campaign efforts, please read below or visit the One Million Signatures website.
Launch of the "One Million Signatures" Campaign
February 13, 2007
Iranian women’s rights activists are fighting gender apartheid through the “One Million Signatures” campaign, which demands an end to discriminatory laws against women. At present, men have the sole right to divorce and except in special cases, the right to custody of children. One man’s testimony equals that of two women. A man’s worth is twice that of a woman in cases of murder or bodily injury. A daughter receives half a son’s inheritance. And certain positions, such as that of a judge, are closed to women. The campaign aims to collect one million signatures in support of granting women equal legal status with men. It is a continuation of Iranian women’s century-long struggle for gender equality.
Iran: Challenging the mullahs, one signature at a time
By Maura J. Casey, Editorial Observer
The New York Times
February 7, 2007
"Well-behaved women rarely make history," my favorite bumper sticker says. It surely applies to Shirin Ebadi, the Iranian lawyer and 2003 Nobel Peace Prize winner whose relentless campaign against discrimination has enraged the mullahs for more than 25 years.
In a country where the law values a woman’s life at only half the price of a man’s, Ms. Ebadi will not be quiet, and she is urging other women to find their voices. Her newest effort is to help collect the signatures of one million Iranian women on a petition protesting their lack of legal rights.
