On Saturday, February 22, 2025, the Women’s Committee of the National Council of Resistance of Iran hosted a conference to commemorate International Women’s Day (IWD 2025). The event gathered distinguished political leaders, human rights advocates, and supporters of the Iranian Resistance from over 80 countries.
Helena Carreiras was the Minister of National Defense of Portugal (2022-2024). She was also the first woman to hold this post.
Helena Carreiras delivered a speech at the IWD 2025 event in Paris, the text of which is presented below.
The Power of Women in the Fight for Justice
Dear Mrs. Rajavi and the Women’s Committee, the participants here in the room, and also in Ashraf 3, I stand before you today to honor the courageous women of Iran, but also all those like you who have championed their fight for freedom and justice.
As a researcher, I’ve learned that nations that neglect women ultimately fail. Societies that suppress women are breeding grounds for violence and instability. And we understand that the oppression of women harms not only women but men as well.
Breaking Barriers in Leadership
As the first female defense minister in my country, I encountered multiple challenges. Yet, I also witnessed the transformative power of women’s full and active participation in leadership.
It’s not just about having a seat at the table but about having a voice that resonates, about leading by example, as you so bravely do. I want to pay tribute to the spirit of resistance.
Resistance: A Right and a Necessity
As you often remind us, resistance and uprising are the legitimate rights of oppressed people, rights enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, a final recourse against tyranny.
And I echo your words: resistance is not merely a choice but a necessity.
It is the force that keeps hope alive, fuels organization, and paves the way to freedom. For nearly half a century, Iranian women have endured the brutality of a misogynistic regime.
Yet, they have organized, they have spoken out. From the streets of Tehran to cities and towns across Iran, they have shown the world the true meaning of courage, of unwavering commitment to values, of consequential action.
A Struggle for Fundamental Change
This is not merely a fight for the right to choose their attire or even to exist as full-fledged citizens.
It is a profound struggle for fundamental change in Iran. That’s why we must commend the NCRI’s twelve-point plan for women’s rights and freedoms in the free Iran of tomorrow.
A plan that places equality at the forefront of the political agenda. The fight of Iranian women is indeed our fight.
As Martin Luther King so eloquently stated, “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” Their resilience inspires and empowers us to combat the erosion of democracy both within our own borders and beyond.
Standing Together for Freedom
Their struggle serves as a stark reminder that hard-won rights must never be taken for granted. We must remain vigilant against the forces of backlash, and we must stand united to protect our most fundamental values.
In a world increasingly fraught with danger, where democracies are undermined from within and where disinformation erodes trust, the example of Iranian women shines as a beacon, reminding us of what we must defend.
Their resistance, your resistance, demands our persistence. We must act in the streets, in our homes, in parliaments, in schools, in governments, in civil society, to amplify their voices, to show their faces, to raise their flags.
It is politics, and it is culture. It is the fight of our lives.
Thank you.
