Iran and the Role of Women

Watching the news about those powerful protests in Iran reminds me of my days doing human rights work in Mexico in the mid-90's, following the Zapatista rebellion. It was all about creating a stronger democracy in Mexico and in many ways it succeeded because, though they're imperfect, the elections in Mexico are cleaner than they were and the indigenous communities have a substantially stronger voice. But it took time, and there was a great deal of frustration we all had to endure. What was so extraordinary then in Mexico and now in Iran is the power and involvement of women in the movements. The pre-election polls showed the challenger Moussavi lead by a substantial margin in Iran, and much of his support came from women. He's the first Iranian politician to campaign openly with his wife at his side and to discuss the rights of women in their closed Muslim society. When you look at footage of the protests, you'll see many women there in the streets, demanding a recount. If you go on Twitter and check out the subject #iran, the posts just keep streaming by. People are just aching to make a difference. Check out these photos of a recent protest to see what I mean. This can go one of two ways: transformation comes about, or the protests go the way of Tiananmen Square - this month marks the 20th anniversary of that massacre, by the way. Let's hope it doesn't happen again. XOXO Marty