LA Progressive:

Elahe Amani

March 8, is the International Women’s Day and it felt definitely different this year for Iranian women. For many Iranian women activists in the diaspora, it did not arrive with purple banners or the familiar rhythm of events, speeches, Interview and solidarity messages about gender equality as before. Across the diaspora, the devastating war in Iran weighed heavier than song and celebration within Iranian women’s movement circles.

Inside Iran, the emotional wounds of mourning families from the massacres of February 2026 still remain bleeding and unhealed while people are enduring a disastrous war. During the 47 dark years of the Islamic Republic’s rule, despite the regime’s brutality and the absence of free speech or assembly, on March 8th, women gathered at home or quietly in public spaces to mark the day. Resistance has long been woven into the daily lives of Iranian women, the courage to challenge the authoritarian and patriarchal power structure at home and in society, to stand firm, and to hold space for reaffirming their commitment to freedom, democracy, and gender justice, while renewing and recharging their struggle as they move forward, never turning back. However, this International Women’s Day carried a somber air, marked by echoes of raids, shattered schools, and fallen walls that silenced more than 160 young voices at Minab Elementary School. Indeed, war is a failure of diplomacy, politics, and humanity.

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