WUNRN
IRAN
- The Campaign, “One Million Signatures Demanding Changes to
Discriminatory Laws,” which aims to collect one million signatures to demand
changes to discriminatory laws against women in Iran, is a follow-up effort to
the peaceful protest of the same aim, which took place on June 12, 2006 in
Haft-e Tir Square in Tehran.
Petition:
International Support for Women’s Campaign - One Million Signatures in Support
of Iranian Women
English & Farsi Links: http://www.learningpartnership.org/en/advocacy/campaign/onemillionsignatures/
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9 January
2009
Change for Equality: According to a report by Radio France
International, Persian Service the One Million Signatures Campaign has been
awarded the Simone de Beauvoir
Award which was established in honor and memory of this Feminist theorist and
writer. For the past two years on the 9th of January, the birthday of Simone de
Beauvoir an Award has been given to persons or groups which work to promote
women’s rights. The first Simone de Beauvoir Award, in commemoration of her
centennial, was given to Taslima Nasreen the writer and women’s rights defender
from
Julia Kristeva,
the renowned Bulgarian-French philosopher, writer and psychoanalyst who is the
founder of the Award and who heads the jury for the Award explained more about
the decision of the Jury in an interview with Radio France International,
Persian Service:
"Simone de Beauvoir
continued the struggle for women’s rights—an effort that has spanned two
centuries. With her world renowned book ’The Second Sex’ Simone de
Beauvoir created a Revolution in the international women’s movement.
The jury for this award,
which is comprised of approximately 20 internationally known figures including
several writers, sociologists, philosophers, journalists and politicians,
wanted to emphasize the fact that the struggle for women’s rights is not a
French, European or Western concept, rather it is a struggle that has attracted
women across the world.
Last year this Award was
given to Taslima Nasreen, who has been harassed and persecuted [in relation to
her struggles for women’s rights]. This year we were immensely moved by the
courage of Iranian women and the innovate style of their struggle.
This movement [the One
Million Signatures Campaign] is engaged in an important effort to explain the
meaning and nature of human rights and women’s rights to women themselves,
encouraging each of them to become involved in the struggle against inequities.
The One Million Signatures Campaign is a new and innovative movement because it
has not taken shape around one progressive and famous central figure, rather it
is a broad movement, where activists visit with other women, engage in face to
face discussions with them, they go home to home, and explain to each woman
about women’s rights.
Through this
[face-to-face] strategy and through the internet they have created a broad
network of ideas and persons, which includes women from all backgrounds,
including women from low income and socio-economically advantaged groups. This
effort is in line with the spirit of Simone de Beauvoir’s work. By giving this
Award to [to the One Million Signatures Campaign] we want to encourage these
women and demonstrate our love and solidarity with them."
It is worth mentioning
that in honor of Simone de Beauvoir’s birthday the site of the Campaign in
We welcome both the
recognition provided to the One Million Signatures Campaign by the
international community as well as the Campaign’s new website in
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