It is now twenty three years since the Islamic Republic has enforced an outright anti-woman system based on organised violence and complete rightlessness in Iran. A gender apartheid and compulsory Hejab is violently being imposed by the state on women and young girls. Hejab is the symbol of slavery and rightlessness of women and a serious obstacle to free and active participation of women in the social, economic and political life in society.

Against this overt misogynism, there exists a massive social movement of resistance, which even the authorities themselves have been forced to admit. The struggle against compulsory Hejab, and women’s defiance of reactionary laws and regulations has been an important aspect of the struggle of people with the Islamic Republic, particularly in recent years.

The resistance and struggle by women’s equal rights movement foiled the initial plans of the Islamic Republic to totally confine women to the home and draw a black veil on women and young girls in Iran. Hejab has become a highly serious issue for the Islamic Republic.

We, the undersigned, therefore:

1. strongly condemn compulsory Hejab;
2. condemn the violent actions of the Islamic Republic - namely imprisonment and flogging - to impose compulsory Hejab;
3. support the struggle of women and people in Iran for the abolition of compulsory Hejab;
4. consider the enforcement of Hejab on girls under sixteen a clear violation of the basic human rights of children. Hejab deprives girls of a happy, equal and active life, and prevents their free, healthy and human development. We therefore demand the banning of Hejab for girls under sixteen;
5. consider dress freedom a basic right of people. We demand this right to be observed by all states;
6. condemn gender apartheid and the rightlessness and degradation of women in Iran;
7. stand along the radical and progressive struggle of women and people in Iran for freedom, secularism and separation of religion from the state.