Welcome to the NCRI Women’s Committee podcast. As always, we are here to amplify the voices of women in Iran and shed light on the struggles they face under the clerical regime. Today, we delve into one of the most horrifying and systemic issues plaguing Iranian women: femicide and honor killings.

To begin, let us remember Ghazaaleh Hodoodi, a 27-year-old mother from Sanandaj, whose life was tragically cut short just last week. This young woman’s story is heartbreaking, and her case is emblematic of the institutionalized violence women endure daily in Iran.

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Could you tell us more about Ghazaaleh’s story and what makes her case particularly significant?

Certainly. Ghazaaleh Hodoodi was a resilient young mother raising her 11-year-old daughter, Niyan, as a single parent. She worked as a tailor to support her family after divorcing her husband, who spent most of his life in prison. Tragically, her attacker, Sirvan Sa'edpanah, had harassed her repeatedly after she declined his marriage proposals. On the evening of December 25, he entered her shop with a bottle of gasoline and set her on fire. Despite her desperate attempt to escape and the efforts of her family to save her, Ghazaaleh succumbed to her injuries two days later.

What makes this case even more disturbing is that Sirvan Sa'edpanah is affiliated with the Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), highlighting the impunity that many perpetrators enjoy under the regime. Meanwhile, Ghazaaleh’s daughter, Niyan, is now in the custody of her paternal family, leaving her future uncertain.

Welcome to the NCRI Women’s Committee podcast. In today’s episode, we dive into one of the most pressing issues of women in Iran—the Iranian regime’s retreat from enforcing its controversial new mandatory hijab law. This is an issue that affects millions of lives and highlights both the resilience of Iranian women and the regime’s weakness.

The announcement of the enforcement of the law on November 27 created a strong backlash, a wave of protests, extensive graffiti on the walls, and operations by Resistance Units across the country in the name of “Women, Resistance, Freedom” to confront the regime’s repressive measure against women. Various sectors of society that held protests changed slogans demanding freedom of choice for women’s dress code.

This law and now its temporary suspension by the regime’s Supreme National Security Council highlight not only the regime’s struggles to maintain control but also the threats it faces from a volatile and extremely discontented society.

Today, as we are approaching the end of the 16 Days of Activism to help Eliminate Violence Against Women and Girls, we’re going to discuss the disturbing rise of violence against women in Iran under the current regime and especially, a controversial law that’s going to be enforced soon to compel women to observe the mandatory Hijab.

While violence against women is a global issue, the situation in Iran is very concerning since it has been systemic and institutionalized under the clerical regime. The government not only fails to protect women but actively promotes misogynistic laws. So, women in Iran live under constant threat, both from the state and within their own homes.

The legal system, under the clerics, is deeply flawed and heavily biased against women. A man who kills his wife can often escape punishment under the guise of “honor,” while women are punished harshly, even for defending themselves.