Voices From Tehran
In this week’s update, hear from women in Tehran on the devastating impact of the ongoing war.
Also see
“We are Overwhelmed by Despair”
One woman’s account of the “intense anxiety” of life under heavy bombardment in Tehran.
“The City Feels Terrifying”
The question that occupies all our minds is: what is going to happen?
“Why Did Iran Come to This Point?”
Sometimes I think how good it is that my husband passed away last year and did not live to see this.
“Armed Officers Are Everywhere”
Even in this situation, we still hope for a bright and free future for Iran.
Voices From Tehran
In this week’s update, hear from women in Tehran on the devastating impact of the ongoing war.
Welcome to IWPR’s Frontline Update, your go-to source to hear from journalists and local voices at the front lines of conflict.
THE BIG PICTURE
As the Iran war continues to rage, a near-total media blackout means that Iranian voices are largely going unheard.
In a series of interviews from Tehran, women describe not only a city under attack but a fiercely contested information space.
VOICES FROM THE FRONTLINE
Public discourse is “dominated by violent, hyper-masculine and anti-woman language,” said one women’s rights activist.
“If you oppose the war, you are immediately labelled a supporter of a bloodthirsty, dictatorial regime,” she continued. “If you support the war, you are immediately labelled a traitor, a sellout, or a foreign agent,” she concluded.
“The internet is cut off and we cannot use messaging apps,” said another woman, a writer in her 40s. “We get news from each other and ask which places have been hit. Whoever has information shares it with others. News spreads by word of mouth.”
“When the air raids start we just listen to the sounds. We don’t go to any shelter - there is nowhere to go,” explained a woman in her 30s, adding, “people are rarely on the streets except out of necessity”.
One retired woman in her 70s described “relentless attacks, destruction, fire, and smoke,” with government groups riding motorcycles and cars through the streets shouting nationalist slogans.
“I constantly ask myself, why did we end up like this? Why did Iran come to this point?” she continued.
WHY IT MATTERS
“While war impacts all civilians, women and girls continue to account for the vast majority of those adversely affected by armed conflict,” IWPR Middle East and North Africa country director Nadia Samet-Warren wrote this week in a piece to mark International Women’s Day on March 8.
Yet all too often their voices are marginalised amidst active conflict and they are excluded from peace and security processes.
“Honestly, many of us - myself and many of my friends - are now so overwhelmed by despair and disillusionment with the international community and the games of international politics that we no longer have any hope for meaningful support from them,” the Tehran activist said. “Those who hear us have no power. Those who have power do not listen.”
THE BOTTOM LINE
As we mark International Women’s Day, IWPR highlights the voices of women speaking out for peace and justice.
In Ukraine, one woman fights to see her Russian torturer brought to justice. In Iraq, women in Mosul defy conservative traditions to rebuild a city scarred by Islamic State occupation. And in Turkey, women use their hair in a unique protest against violence.
And from Iran, we hear women focusing on survival and a brighter future.
“We live in an atmosphere of fear and hope,” said the Tehran writer in her 40s. “But my fears outweigh my hopes.”
