With International Women’s Day just two weeks away, today, we salute the incredible women worldwide who have fought and paved the way for women’s rights and equality.

And today, we’re diving into the fierce and relentless battle of Iranian women. They’ve been at the forefront of the fight for freedom and democracy in Iran, and their courage is nothing short of inspiring.

When we think of Iran, unfortunately, the image that often comes to mind is one of oppression—particularly the suppression of women’s rights. Women in Iran have had their basic freedoms taken away, whether it's the right to choose their attire, participate fully in society, or live without fear of violence.

It’s so important to recognize that the repression in Iran isn't just about the compulsory hijab. It goes far deeper. The regime’s control over women is a tool to maintain its power, and it's been that way for over 40 years. But what we don’t hear enough about is the other side of this story: the fierce resistance of Iranian women.

Today, we’re exploring a story of resilience, courage, and unbreakable determination—the role of Iranian women in the 1979 revolution.

As we mark the anniversary of the 1979 Revolution, on February 11, 1979, we’ll take a closer look at the significant role women played in this historic movement—how they defied societal norms, risked their lives, and stood at the forefront of the revolution. Their fight for freedom didn’t end in 1979, and today, we’ll also examine how their legacy continues to inspire the ongoing struggle for women’s rights in Iran.

Qarchak Prison—it’s been called one of the most notorious facilities in Iran. Why is it so infamous?

It really lives up to that reputation. Qarchak is the only all-women’s prison in Iran, located in Varamin, about 35 kilometers southeast of Tehran. But it’s far from being a place of rehabilitation. Overcrowding, filthy living conditions, and the mistreatment of inmates make it a living nightmare.

And we’re talking about political prisoners here too, right?

Yes, many inmates are political prisoners or activists who’ve committed no crime other than speaking out. But they’re lumped in with dangerous criminals. It’s a blatant violation of the principle of separating prisoners by crime type, and the regime does it deliberately.

Why would they do that?

To pile on the pressure. It’s psychological torture. Imagine being a political prisoner and having to fear attacks from violent criminals constantly. The regime essentially uses these criminals to intimidate and even harm activists. It’s a way to kill or severely injure political prisoners without taking the blame.

Welcome to the NCRI Women’s Committee podcast. As always, we are here to amplify the voices of women in Iran and shed light on the struggles they face under the clerical regime. Today, we delve into one of the most horrifying and systemic issues plaguing Iranian women: femicide and honor killings.

To begin, let us remember Ghazaaleh Hodoodi, a 27-year-old mother from Sanandaj, whose life was tragically cut short just last week. This young woman’s story is heartbreaking, and her case is emblematic of the institutionalized violence women endure daily in Iran.

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Could you tell us more about Ghazaaleh’s story and what makes her case particularly significant?

Certainly. Ghazaaleh Hodoodi was a resilient young mother raising her 11-year-old daughter, Niyan, as a single parent. She worked as a tailor to support her family after divorcing her husband, who spent most of his life in prison. Tragically, her attacker, Sirvan Sa'edpanah, had harassed her repeatedly after she declined his marriage proposals. On the evening of December 25, he entered her shop with a bottle of gasoline and set her on fire. Despite her desperate attempt to escape and the efforts of her family to save her, Ghazaaleh succumbed to her injuries two days later.

What makes this case even more disturbing is that Sirvan Sa'edpanah is affiliated with the Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), highlighting the impunity that many perpetrators enjoy under the regime. Meanwhile, Ghazaaleh’s daughter, Niyan, is now in the custody of her paternal family, leaving her future uncertain.

Welcome to the NCRI Women’s Committee podcast. In today’s episode, we dive into one of the most pressing issues of women in Iran—the Iranian regime’s retreat from enforcing its controversial new mandatory hijab law. This is an issue that affects millions of lives and highlights both the resilience of Iranian women and the regime’s weakness.

The announcement of the enforcement of the law on November 27 created a strong backlash, a wave of protests, extensive graffiti on the walls, and operations by Resistance Units across the country in the name of “Women, Resistance, Freedom” to confront the regime’s repressive measure against women. Various sectors of society that held protests changed slogans demanding freedom of choice for women’s dress code.

This law and now its temporary suspension by the regime’s Supreme National Security Council highlight not only the regime’s struggles to maintain control but also the threats it faces from a volatile and extremely discontented society.

Today, as we are approaching the end of the 16 Days of Activism to help Eliminate Violence Against Women and Girls, we’re going to discuss the disturbing rise of violence against women in Iran under the current regime and especially, a controversial law that’s going to be enforced soon to compel women to observe the mandatory Hijab.

While violence against women is a global issue, the situation in Iran is very concerning since it has been systemic and institutionalized under the clerical regime. The government not only fails to protect women but actively promotes misogynistic laws. So, women in Iran live under constant threat, both from the state and within their own homes.

The legal system, under the clerics, is deeply flawed and heavily biased against women. A man who kills his wife can often escape punishment under the guise of “honor,” while women are punished harshly, even for defending themselves.

Today, as we mark the anniversary of the November 2019 uprising — one of the largest uprisings in modern Iranian history — we’ll explore the role, widespread presence, and leadership of women in this movement. This uprising showcased extraordinary moments of courage and leadership by Iranian women.

We dedicate this episode to the women of the November 2019 uprising, and we’ll focus on the role of women in the Resistance Units and their contributions to the fight for Iran’s freedom.

Let’s start with this question: How would you describe the November 2019 uprising?

The November 2019 uprising was sparked on the 15th of November by a sudden hike in fuel prices. Protests rapidly spread to 191 cities. Iranians from all walks of life poured into the streets, chanting slogans like “Death to Khamenei” and “Death to Rouhani.”

In the early days of the uprising, protesters in cities such as Shiraz in the south, Behbahan in the southwest, Tehran Province, and other major cities temporarily liberated areas, challenging security forces and significantly disrupting the regime’s control.

Regime officials admitted that they were simultaneously battling the uprising in 900 locations nationwide, with 146 crisis points in Tehran alone. The scale and intensity of the uprising shook the regime to its core, so much so that they could only suppress it through brutal massacres. This uprising revealed the explosive potential and power of the Iranian people to overthrow the regime.

Welcome to this episode of the NCRI Women’s Committee podcast where we uncover one of the darkest facets of human rights abuse within the prison system of the Iranian regime which has victimized many women.

The regime's treatment of political prisoners has always been harsh. Some reports reveal an even more sinister strategy: forcing illness and breaking prisoners through brutal tactics that often lead to irreversible health damage—or worse. Today, we’ll dive into these practices and bring to light the voices of those who have endured the unimaginable.

To anyone who has followed Iran’s recent history, the stories of political prisoners are already gut-wrenching. But what we're talking about today is a method of control that goes beyond physical and psychological torture. Prisoners who resist the regime or refuse to cooperate face medical torture: they’re given injections or forced to take pills, often leading to chronic autoimmune diseases or mental breakdowns. These are not isolated cases—this is a systematic campaign to destroy the bodies and spirits of dissidents.

The term some have used is “biological assassination.” Think about that for a moment. These prisoners are not just being silenced; they’re being slowly dismantled from the inside. Some are given drugs that disrupt their immune systems, leading to diseases like multiple sclerosis (MS) and lupus. And for those who resist even further? The regime escalates with psychoactive drugs that induce total psychological collapse, making even the strongest individuals weak and vulnerable.