On Saturday, February 21, 2026, on the eve of March 8, International Women’s Day, the NCRI Women’s Committee hosted an international conference in Paris entitled “Women’s Leadership: An Imperative for a Free Iran and a Democratic Republic.” The conference, attended by women legislators, academics, thinkers, and prominent political figures, focused on women’s political participation and leadership as a decisive element in a democratic society.
At this conference, Vida Nik Talean, head of the Association of Women for Democracy in Iran, delivered a speech. The full text of her remarks is as follows:
Vida Nik Talean: Women’s Empowerment as a Path to Transforming Power Structures
Dear Mrs. Rajavi, heroic members of the PMOI in Ashraf 3 and across the world, dear friends and companions on the path to freedom,
It is a great honor for me today to speak alongside you as the head of the Association of Women for Democracy in Iran. Before speaking about my current responsibility, I would like to return to a journey that has shaped four decades of my life.
Forty years ago, because of my political activities, I was forced to leave Iran and seek refuge in Germany.
I witnessed the repression of my classmates who were arrested simply for selling the Mojahed newspaper and who never returned to school again. Among my relatives, there were also those who were executed. Society had sunk into silence and fear. There was no space left to breathe freely.
During these activities I became familiar with the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran. Under such conditions, staying meant being silent, and I had no choice but to leave my country.
I came to Germany not to forget, but to continue. I joined the network of supporters of the People’s Mojahedin Organization in Germany and began my activities with them.
My work ranged from advocating for women’s rights and participating in demonstrations and actions, to organizing political meetings and campaigns exposing human rights violations.
In this path, I was inspired by a woman who became a symbol of steadfastness and resistance: Maryam Rajavi.
She succeeded in nurturing a long line of women fighters and members of the resistance alongside her. Women who each assumed crucial political, organizational, and international responsibilities. They learned to make decisions, to lead, to be accountable, and not to retreat even under the most difficult circumstances.
The defining characteristic of these women is a combination of individual courage and collective spirit, tireless struggle and steadfast responsibility.
They are not afraid, and they define their success through the success of the collective. In the presence of such women, every obstacle and threat becomes an opportunity for strength.
This inspiring community is the result of a strategic vision for empowering women, a belief that placing women at the center of decision-making transforms structures of power and moves society toward justice.
Vida Nik Talean: We Continue for Justice and Equality: A Free Iran, Without the Shah and the Clerics
For me, this experience strengthened my faith in the path to freedom. Along this journey, together with my sisters in the PMOI, I learned the true meaning of collective work and responsibility.
I came to understand that real power lies within us, not within me. With every new responsibility, trust in the collective gave me strength. I knew that no commitment was purely individual; we support one another in order to reach our shared goal.
When we speak about human rights campaigns, engagement with European parliaments, organizing rallies, and mobilizing public opinion, I must emphasize that the presence of women is neither symbolic nor temporary.
It is the result of years of purposeful empowerment aimed at rejecting every form of dictatorship, whether that of the Shah or the Mullah, and building a free and equal Iran for millions of women.What is seen today on the international stage is the outcome of a deeply rooted path toward a different future, a future in which women will be its architects.
That young girl in school still lives within me. But today she is no longer alone; she is part of a conscious and determined generation.
We have learned that freedom is not a gift. It must be built and sustained. We will not allow anyone to steal our revolution, and propaganda and disinformation on social media carry no value in the eyes of the people of Iran.
Today I say with certainty: we will continue for justice, for equality, and for a free and democratic Iran, without the Shah and without the Mullah.
An Iran that will be built through the responsibility and leadership of women. Just as my sisters in Ashraf 3 have said: We remain, we fight, and we will take Iran back.
