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.
Theresa Villiers is a British politician who served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Chipping Barnet from 2005 to 2024, having previously served as a Member of the European Parliament from 1999 to 2005. A member of the Conservative Party, Villiers was Minister of State for Rail and Aviation from 2010 to 2012, Secretary of State for Northern Ireland from 2012 to 2016 and Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs from 2019 to 2020.
Theresa Villiers delivered a speech at the IWD 2025 event in Paris, the text of which is presented below.
Theresa Villiers: A Tribute to the British Iranian Community
Thank you, Mrs. Rajavi for inviting me to take part in this important gathering as we approach International Women’s Day. I’d like to start by expressing my thanks to the British Iranian community for all the support they gave me during my nineteen years in parliament.
I’m hugely grateful to all of my Iranian friends, including my good friends from the NCRI. They inspired me to speak out on Iran.
The Continued Fight for Women’s Rights
These good friends inspired me to speak out against the mullahs in Tehran, and I share the anger felt by those I used to represent in parliament about the crimes of the Iranian regime and the tyranny it imposes.
As we celebrate International Women’s Day, we must not forget that there are still countries where women are treated as second-class citizens.
It is disgraceful, as so many have said. It is disgraceful that women in Iran are denied so many basic rights—rights related to marriage, divorce, child custody, employment, and inheritance.
The list is long, and it’s not acceptable. It is appalling that punishments for domestic violence remain inadequate and prosecutions rare. It’s utterly repellent that the legal age of marriage for girls is just 13 in Iran.
The Reality of Women’s Oppression in Iran
In the UK, we’ve realized in recent years that there is more that we need to do to ensure women’s rights are fully respected. International Women’s Day has become a time to reflect on this for us.
The demand for more effective ways to counter male violence against women has become louder in Britain in recent years.
Our new understanding and awareness that the battle for true equality is one even in our own countries should make us even more outraged than we were before about the terrible plight of women in Iran.
A Call for Justice and Accountability
As reported by Amnesty, people continue to be subjected to enforced disappearances, torture, and other cruel treatment. Systematic impunity prevails for ongoing and past crimes against humanity.
It is quite simply unacceptable that the perpetrators of the mass killings of 1988 have never been held to account. It is an outrage that these terrible crimes have gone unpunished for so long. But in conclusion, let’s not despair.
A Hopeful Vision for Iran’s Future
These evil men cannot prevail forever… One day, we will celebrate International Women’s Day in Iran. One day, we will see an independent judiciary, the rule of law, and the transition to free and fair elections. We will eventually see justice and equality for women.
These crucial aspirations are set out in the NCRI’s ten-point plan for a democratic, secular, non-nuclear Iran.
So let us give a big cheer for the brave dissidents and protesters who’ve kept the flame of hope alive in Iran and for everyone working for a free and democratic future for the Iranian people. Thank you.
