Femena

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As the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence begin, we are called to reflect on one of the most devastating consequences of conflict: the profound and often overlooked impact on women and girls. From the ravaged streets of Gaza to the embattled cities of Sudan, Syria, Yemen, Libya, and Lebanon, wars have turned the bodies of women into battlegrounds, making gender-based violence a grim hallmark of conflict. ???This year, our campaign focuses on the intersection of war and gender-based violence. Through interviews with activists from Palestine, Lebanon, Sudan, Yemen, and Syria, we will amplify the voices of those on the frontlines of this crisis. ???Let us use this campaign not only to raise awareness but to advocate for meaningful change. Together, we can push for accountability, empower survivors, and ensure that the rights and dignity of women and girls are protected even in the darkest of times. Because every 10 minutes, a woman is killed, and behind every statistic is a story we must never forget. #16daysofactivism #StopViolenceAgainstWomen #noexcuses #NoWar #every10minutes

This week, we at Femena are honored to celebrate the achievements and resilience of five remarkable Women Human Rights Defenders (WHRDs). These WHRDs continue to inspire and lead in the fight for justice and human rights: -Azza Soliman (Egypt) A leading WHRD, lawyer and advocate for women’s legal and social rights, Azza has faced years of persecution, including an asset freeze and travel restrictions. Last week marked a significant victory as her asset freeze was lifted, paving the way for renewed efforts to support human rights defenders in Egypt. Azza’s work continues to inspire rights-based advocacy across the region. Atena Farghadani (Iran), Diala Ayesh (Palestine), Nasim Soltanbeygi (Iran) These three extraordinary women have been nominated for the Index on Censorship Awards for Freedom of Expression, recognizing their courageous and tireless efforts in defending human rights and challenging oppression in some of the world’s most repressive environments. Atena Farghadani is a visual artist and activist from Iran, known for using her art to critique government policies and advocate for justice. Despite being sentenced to six years in prison for her activism, she continues her work in the face of adversity. Diala Ayesh, a lawyer and women human rights defender from Palestine, has been advocating for prisoners' rights and Palestinian justice. Since January 2024, she has been detained by Israeli authorities for her unwavering commitment to these causes. Nasim Soltanbeygi is an Iranian journalist and human rights defender who has spent over 15 years covering women’s rights and political issues. After multiple arrests for her activism, she was sentenced to prison in 2023 but remains a strong voice for freedom and social change. -Zholia Parsi (Afghanistan) Zholia Parsi, a women’s rights activist, began protesting the Taliban's oppressive rule in 2021, specifically opposing their bans on women’s employment, free movement, and education. In September 2023, after enduring numerous threats and periods in hiding, Zholia was abducted from her home and imprisoned by the Taliban for three months along with her son. Now in exile, she continues to speak out against Taliban atrocities. Her courageous activism under extremely dangerous conditions was recognized when she won the 2024 Martin Ennals Award.

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On November 2, 2024, a powerful video emerged on Iranian social media showing a female student partially undressed on a university campus in a bold protest against the strict dress code. Her actions followed a distressing encounter with university security, who physically harassed her for wearing her hijab incorrectly. Reports from the Amir Kabir newsletter and student channels indicate that security forces forcibly removed her headscarf and tore her clothing, prompting her to strip as a form of protest. The video captures her, in her underwear, quietly sitting and walking on campus before she was violently arrested and taken to an unknown location. In response, the university's public relations director, Seyed Amir Mahjoub, claimed that security merely handed her over to the police and denied any physical altercation. He further suggested that the student was experiencing a psychological disorder and was in severe distress. State-run media echoed these claims, framing her actions as a result of mental health issues and reporting that she was being transferred to a mental hospital. Labeling women as having mental health issues is part of a disturbing pattern used by Iranian authorities to discredit those protesting the compulsory hijab law. For instance, Roya Zakeri, known as the "Girl of Tabriz," was arrested in October 2023 and labeled mentally unstable after a viral video of her arrest. Vida Movahed, who sparked the "Girls of Revolution Street" movement by symbolically removing her hijab in December 2017, faced similar allegations. Two years after the tragic death of Mahsa Amini in police custody and the widespread protests that followed, Iranian women continue to face harassment and assault for perceived violations of the hijab law. Femena strongly condemns this ongoing oppression and urges Iranian authorities to respect women's rights over their bodies. #WomanLifeFreedom #????_????_???????

On November 2, 2024, a powerful video emerged on Iranian social media showing a female student partially undressed on a university campus in a bold protest against the strict dress code. Her actions followed a distressing encounter with university security, who physically harassed her for wearing her hijab incorrectly. Reports from the Amir Kabir newsletter and student channels indicate that security forces forcibly removed her headscarf and tore her clothing, prompting her to strip as a form of protest. The video captures her, in her underwear, quietly sitting and walking on campus before she was violently arrested and taken to an unknown location. In response, the university's public relations director, Seyed Amir Mahjoub, claimed that security merely handed her over to the police and denied any physical altercation. He further suggested that the student was experiencing a psychological disorder and was in severe distress. State-run media echoed these claims, framing her actions as a result of mental health issues and reporting that she was being transferred to a mental hospital. Labeling women as having mental health issues is part of a disturbing pattern used by Iranian authorities to discredit those protesting the compulsory hijab law. For instance, Roya Zakeri, known as the "Girl of Tabriz," was arrested in October 2023 and labeled mentally unstable after a viral video of her arrest. Vida Movahed, who sparked the "Girls of Revolution Street" movement by symbolically removing her hijab in December 2017, faced similar allegations. Two years after the tragic death of Mahsa Amini in police custody and the widespread protests that followed, Iranian women continue to face harassment and assault for perceived violations of the hijab law. Femena strongly condemns this ongoing oppression and urges Iranian authorities to respect women's rights over their bodies. #WomanLifeFreedom #????_????_???????

Happening now at Femena #HRC side event Ambassador Christophe Payot, Permanent Representative of Belgium, provides opening remarks at Femena’s #HRC side event, commemorating the WLF protests of 2022, and highlighting deteriorating situation for women since then Sussan Tahamasebi, Executive Director of Femena, discusses the problematic legislation that will have very negative impacts on Iranian women’s social gains. This includes the Hijab and Chastity Law, Prevention of Harm Against Women Law, and the Rejuvenation of the Population and Protection of the Family law. Sussan urged UN member states, especially those from the Global Majority, to use Iran’s UPR in January as an opportunity to urge Iranian authorities to end systematic discrimination against women and other human rights abuses. And most importantly, Sussan stressed that International Human Rights system and UN Member states would do well to apply international human rights law and accountability measures consistently to all countries who violate rights, otherwise they risk eroding further a system we all rely on for protection of rights. Elahe Ejbari, a Baluchi feminist and woman human rights defender from Iran elaborates on the particular persecution faced by the Baluchi community and the abuses that Baluchi WLF protestors were subjected to. She stresses respect for the full spectrum of human rights for the Baluchi community, drawing on her own experience of detention and abuse. Noushin Keshavarznia, a feminist and veteran women rights activist, elaborates extensively on the conditions and repression faced by Iranian protesters, and women in particular. She draws on her own experience of detention and the patterns of abuse that she observed Nazanin Kaynejad discusses the transformative impacts of the WLF movement and the courageous efforts and determination of the WHRDs who she was detained with. She stresses the importance of governments meeting the needs and protecting the rights of Iranian WHRDs who are now in exile. #WomanLifeFreedom #HumanRightsCouncil #Iran #genderequality #HRC57

Femena strongly condemns the unjust detention of Diala Ayesh, a Palestinian women human rights defender, who has been held in administrative detention by Israeli forces since January 17, 2024. Ayesh, a 28-year-old lawyer, has dedicated herself to advocating for the rights of Palestinian prisoners under occupation, providing guidance and support to lawyers willing to volunteer to assist detainees. Despite her commitment to justice, Ayesh has been held for over eight months without formal charges. Her administrative detention was renewed on June 5, 2024, and she is currently imprisoned in Damon prison. We remain concerned about Ayesh’s well-being and safety, given the reports of mistreatment, torture, abuse, and inadequate food and medical care in Israeli prisons. This arbitrary detention is part of Israel’s ongoing campaign to suppress human rights defenders and silence those who challenge its occupation. Femena demands the immediate and unconditional release of Diala Ayesh and all other unlawfully detained Palestinian activists. We stand in solidarity with Ayesh and all WHRDs who continue to fight for justice despite facing systemic violence and persecution. Femena urges the international community to hold Israel accountable for these violations and to protects the rights of those who defend human rights. ???? ?????? ???? ????? ??? ?????? ???????? ?? ???? ??????? ????????? ?????????? ????? ????? ???? ?? ???????? ?? ?????? ????? ?? ??? ?????? ??????????? ??? ?? ????? ????. ???? ???? ??????? ?? ????? ?? ?????? ????? ?????? ?? ???? ?????? ????????? ??????????? ???????????? ??? ????????? ?????? ??????? ?????? ????????/?? ????????/?? ?? ?????? ??????? ?????????/??. ??? ???????? ????????? ?? ?????? ???? ????? ?? ?????? ???? ??? ????? ??????? ?????. ??? ????? ???????? ??????? ?? ? ????? ???? ??? ?????? ?????? ?? ??? ?????. ????? ???? ???? ???? ????????? ????? ???????? ?? ??? ???????? ???????? ???? ??????? ???????? ?????? ??? ??????? ?? ?????? ???????????. ?? ??? ???????? ??????? ?? ??? ?? ?????? ???????? ???? ?????? ??????? ???? ????????? ?????????? ?? ???? ??????? ?????? ?? ??????/???? ????? ????????. ????? ?????? ???????? ?????? ???? ??????? ?? ????? ???? ????? ??????? ????????? ??????????? ???????????? ??????? ????????? ?????????/?? ???? ??? ??????. ??? ???????? ?? ????? ???? ????? ????????? ?? ???? ??????? ??????? ??????? ?? ?????? ?? ??? ??????? ??? ?????? ????? ????????? ???????. ???? ?????? ??????? ?????? ??? ?????? ??????? ??? ??? ?????????? ?????? ???? ?????/??????? ???????/?????? ?? ???? ???????. #dialaayesh #????????? #PalestinianWhrds

Femena expresses deep concern over the rising military escalation between Israel and Hezbollah over the past few days. According to the Lebanese Health Ministry, at least 569 people have been killed, including 50 children, and 1,835 have been wounded in Israel’s intense bombardment of different regions in Lebanon. Monday marked Lebanon’s highest daily death toll since the end of the 1975-90 civil war. Israel’s heaviest barrage in almost a year of cross-border clashes has led to the displacement of tens of thousands of people from south Lebanon, who fled along the main road towards Beirut. The Lebanese government has allocated nearly 150 public schools as shelters for those fleeing violence. Read the full statement on website ?? https://lnkd.in/exPqgWYq #lebanon #supportWHRDs

Femena Condemns the Unjust Detention of Palestinian Journalist Rasha Harzallah Femena strongly condemns the arbitrary detention of Rasha Harzallah, a journalist with the Palestinian News and Information Agency WAFA, and calls for her immediate and unconditional release. Harzallah was unjustly arrested by Israeli intelligence agents in Nablus on June 2, 2024. She was initially taken to a detention center in the illegal Ariel colony and then transferred to Damon prison. Originally given a 72-hour detention order, her detention has been extended multiple times. On June 6, an Israeli military court extended her detention for an additional five days on accusations of “incitement,” and it has now been prolonged until October 13, 2024. Harzallah’s case is part of a concerning trend since the start of the war on October 7, with over 40 journalists currently in Israeli custody, including two women reporters. These actions reflect a broader pattern of systemic harassment and targeting of Palestinian journalists by Israeli forces to stifle press freedom and silence critical voices against the occupation. Femena calls for the immediate and unconditional release of Rasha Harzallah and all other detained journalists and WHRDs. It is essential that journalists be allowed to carry out their work without fear of harassment, intimidation, or arbitrary detention. We stand in solidarity with Harzallah and all journalists facing persecution for their commitment to reporting the truth. ???? ?????? ???? ????????? ??????? ??????? ??? ??? ????? ???? ???? ?? ????? ??????? ?????????? ?????????? "???"? ?????? ?????? ?????? ?????? ???? ???????. ?? ?????? ??? ???? ???? ??? ???? ??? ?? ????? ????????? ??????????? ?? ????? ?????? ? ????? ????. ?? ????? ????? ??? ???? ?????? ?? ????????? ??? ????????? ?????? ?? ??? ??? ?????. ??? ????? ?? ?? ??? ???????? ??? ???? ?? ???? ???? ??? ?? ????? ???????? ??? ????. ?? ? ?????? ???? ????? ?????? ????????? ???????? ???? ???? ?????? ???? "???????"? ????? ???????? ???? ??? ?? ?????? ????. ???? ???? ??? ???? ?? ???? ???? ??? ????? ????? ?? ? ??????? ??? ???? ???? ?? ?? ?????? ?????? ?????? ?? ????? ??????????? ??? ?? ??? ?????? ?? ????????. ???? ??? ????????? ????? ???? ?? ????????? ???????? ???????? ???????? ????????? ??????????? ???????????? ?? ??? ?????? ??????????? ???? ???? ??????? ?????? ??????? ??????? ?? ????????. ???? ?????? ??? ??????? ?????? ???? ??????? ?? ??? ??? ???? ????? ???????? ????????? ?????????? ?????????? ?? ???? ??????? ????????? ??????????. ?? ??????? ?? ????? ???????? ????????? ??????? ?????/? ???? ??? ?? ???????? ?? ??????? ?? ???????? ???????. ???? ?? ?????? ??? ???????? ?? ??? ???? ????? ???????? ????????? ?????/??????? ???????/?????? ???????? ???? ????????/? ???? ???????. #rashaharzallah #freerashaharzallah