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.
Anneli Jäätteenmäki is a Finnish politician who was Finland’s first female and 39th prime minister in 2003. From 2004 until 2019, she served as a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) from Finland.
Anneli Jäätteenmäki delivered a speech at the IWD 2025 event in Paris, the text of which is presented below.
Honoring the Courage of Iranian Women
Ladies and gentlemen,
Today, we come together to honor the brave women of Iran. They have fought for freedom with great strength.
For forty-six years, these women, these brave women, have suffered under a harsh regime that denies them basic rights. Despite this, they have refused to be silent, leading the fight against oppression and demanding change.
Iranian women face discrimination in many areas, including education, jobs, legal rights, and politics. They are not allowed to hold leadership positions, and their testimony in court is valued less than a man’s.
They inherit only half as much as men do, and even their rights as mothers are limited. Tragically, some women who defended themselves against domestic violence have been executed—at least 34 in 2024 alone.
Protests and Perseverance: A Movement That Will Not Be Silenced
Dear friends,
Still, Iranian women have not given up. They have not given up. The protests in 2022 and since then, show their strength, with women leading demonstrations and risking their safety to challenge the regime.
Think if we, if you, were in their place. It would be awful. And their fight, their resistance, is not just about the hardship. It is about gaining full social, economic, and political freedoms.
Iranian women have come to the conclusion that their only path forward is resistance. Now, they are chanting, women, resistance, freedom, equality, reflecting their strong commitment to change.
A Call to Action: Stand with Iranian Women for Justice
Dear friends,
The National Council of Resistance of Iran, led by Maryam Rajavi, represents a democratic opposition that envisions a free Iran with gender equality in law and in real life.
Dear friends,
Iranian women are leading this fight, not just for themselves but for future generations.
Their resistance gives them hope and gives us hope. It is our duty—our duty to support them until justice is achieved, until the Iranian people are free. Thank you.
