While in most countries of the world women have equal rights to men this is still not the case in Iran. Despite decades of fighting and women’s rights movements, women are still somewhat oppressed and discriminated against. Even today they are banned from studying for the majority of university degrees, they are not allowed to run in political elections, they are not granted equal marriage or divorce rights, and they are forced to put being a homemaker before having a career, amongst many other things that make them seem somewhat second-class citizens.
Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s highest authority, still believes that gender equality was ‘one of the biggest mistakes of the Western thought’. This is the world that Nasrin Sotoudeh was born into and this is the world she is determined to change.
As well as being a dedicated wife and mother of two, Nasrin Sotoudeh, 50, is an Iranian journalist, a prominent human rights activist, and a lawyer. Having stood up for her belief in equality and the rights of the women everywhere even at the cost of her own welfare and freedom, she’s also an incredibly inspirational woman. This is her story…
Nasrin’s Career
With a Master’s degree in international law from Shahid Behshti University, Iran, and having passed the bar exam which qualified her to practice law in 1995, Nasrin Sotoudeh was determined to make a difference in the world.
She wanted to stand up for those without a voice and defend people’s basic human rights, no matter the cost. Prior to 2003 however she was prevented from practicing law by the Ministry of Intelligence due to the fact she was a woman and so instead she chose to work as a journalist, focussing mainly on children’s and women’s rights issues which lay close to her heart due to the discrimination against them in Iran.
When she was finally allowed to stand as an attorney, Sotoudeh chose to represent people who were condemned for supporting the women’s rights movement such as university students, journalists, lawyers, and most notably Nobel Peace Prize winner Dr. Shirin Ebadi.
She believed and still believes that these people should not be condemned for expressing their opinion and fighting for their rights as well as those of others. She also focussed heavily on defending people who were given the death sentence for crimes they committed as minors and were due to be executed upon reaching the age of legal responsibility (which is the age of nine for girls in Iran).
In addition to practicing law, Sotoudeh never ceased her work for campaigning for women’s rights. She was involved in several campaigns to highlight the issue over the years and in 2009 she also helped to found the Coalition of Women’s Rights Movement which brought women’s rights to the attention of the presidential election candidates of that year.
Over the years she won many awards for her ongoing work, including the International Human Rights Award in 2008, though the Iranian government prevented Sotoudeh from leaving the country to accept her prize.
Through her work Sotoudeh demanded ‘changes in laws which give women half the value of men.’ and she cried out for a reform with hope that Iranian women would one day be released from what she described as ‘legal detention’.
Arrest and Imprisonment
On September 4th 2010, Sotoudeh was arrested by Iranian authorities and charged with spreading propaganda agains the state, violating hijab (a Muslim law which states women must cover their heads with a scarf when in public), and acting against national security.
Upon her arrest she was denied access to a lawyer, denied bail, and also denied visits from her family. Come January 9th of the following year, Sotoudeh was sentenced to 11 years imprisonment as well as being barred from practicing law and leaving the country for 20 years (though an appeals court later managed to have her sentence reduced to 6 years imprisonment and a 10 year ban from law).
On the subject of her imprisonment her husband, Reza Khandan said ‘The world should know that all she has done is to earn this punishment is support her clients. Even when she was threatened with arrest, she continued to support her clients with bravery and determination. The world must support her now.’
Sotoudeh’s imprisonment caught the attention of people around the world and spawned numerous campaigns calling for her release. During her imprisonment several protests were staged, petitions were signed, and many international political groups spoke in her favour, condemning her sentence, though this did little to move Iranian authorities.
While in prison, Sotoudeh partook in two hunger strikes to protest the denial of her family’s visits and also to have the illegal travel ban on her 13 year old daughter lifted, both of which she ended when authorities met her demands. While she may not have been able to continue her legal work in prison, Sotoudeh continued to stand up for her beliefs and refused to be beaten.
Sotoudeh’s courage and heart even in such bleak circumstances were an inspiration to the women in her country and has helped encourage and inspire more women to fight for their rights. This, combined with the continuing women’s rights movement in Iran, is finally beginning to help women gain equal rights to their male counterparts, however there is still a long way to go.
Release
On September 18th 2013, Sotoudeh was finally released early from prison along with several other political prisoners. To this day no explanation was give for her release however it’s worth noting that Sotoudeh was given her freedom just days before the new Iranian president was to travel to the United States for the UN General Assembly.
Since her release Sotoudeh has spent some much needed time enjoying her family life. She’s also spent a great deal of time speaking out about her experiences and of the injustice of the Iranian judicial system, raising awareness of the oppression within her country and continuously campaigning for equal human rights. While change is slowly happening and women are year after year gaining more rights in Iran there is still a long way to go however and Sotoudeh is determined not to stop her work until sex discrimination becomes a thing of the past, not just in Iran but worldwide.
There is little doubt that Nasrin Sotoudeh is an amazingly inspiring woman. She’s confident in what she believes in and is willing to go to any lengths to protect those beliefs and the rights of everyone around her. I think it’s truly incredible that she puts everyone else before herself and is willing to go to any length to defend the rights of others. She’s a truly selfless woman who’s heart and conviction remained unwavering even in the bleakest of circumstances.
While the issues and oppression Iranian women face may be hard to contemplate for many of us they are still a very real issue and without the help of brave women like Nasrin Sotoudeh change will never come. Her courage and conviction are truly inspiring and her story should teach us to stand up for our beliefs no matter how small and to speak out for those without a voice.
If you’ve been inspired by Nasrin Sotoudeh’s incredible story then you can read more about her here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nasrin_Sotoudeh
Cover photo: www.kaveh-rk.net
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