Iranian women had more rights half a century ago than they do now.
Before Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini established the Islamic Republic of Iran in 1979, Iranian women could seek divorce, obtain primary custody of their children, and travel freely without their husband’s written consent.
Then, overnight, the former Supreme Leader of Iran stripped women of these rights in a political overturn that still affects women today.
For decades, Iranian women have raised their voices in a demand for equality. In September 2022, the movement gained global recognition when 22-year-old Mahsa Jina Amini was beaten to death in police custody following arrest for “improper” attire.
Years later, her loss continues to ripple through the Iranian women’s movement as the Kurdish chant “Woman, Life, Freedom” echoes through the streets in protest.
Protests against human rights abuses and restricted freedoms have continued since. In January of 2026, the Iranian government imposed a near-total internet shutdown to reduce protests, as part of a larger crackdown that resulted in the deaths of tens of thousands of people and the arrests of thousands more.
Now, U.S.-Israeli strikes against Iran have plunged its people into a new chapter of uncertainty, and Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s death has left a vacuum of power in the regime.
Iranians tell the BBC that Tehran “feels empty” and that they “deserve a normal life.”
Despite the many variables at play in Iran, here are five organizations that have been defending women’s rights — and human rights — in the region long before protestors were massacred and missile strikes began.
Five organizations that have dedicated their mission to the equality, empowerment, and safety of women in Iran
The Iranian American Women Foundation
The Iranian American Women Foundation leads annual Women’s Leadership Conferences in chapters across the U.S. Each conference features guest speakers, leadership seminars, and educational opportunities for teen girls and college-age women.
Human rights activist Mariam Khosravani founded the organization in 2012 and continues to serve as the foundation’s president. In the last two years, the conferences have taken on a greater urgency as speakers share testimonials and spread awareness of the plight of Iranian women.
“We need to take our emotions and turn it into action,” Khosravani said at a memorial service for Amini in 2022. “We need to help our brave and courageous sisters in Iran. We want to let them know that they are not alone.”
The Center for Human Rights
The Center for Human Rights in Iran is an independent nonprofit that partners with activists around the world to seek accountability for human rights violations and bring attention to the abductions and deaths of journalists, teachers, and human rights leaders.
One of their largest campaigns called for the release of unjustly imprisoned Nobel Laureate Narges Mohammadi, a peace advocate who has been jailed on manufactured charges and denied medical care.
“Narges’ continued imprisonment is not just a violation of her rights but a stark reminder of the extent of the brutal persecution still faced by political dissidents and human rights defenders in Iran and around the world today,” reads a joint letter endorsed by the CHRI.
United for Iran
United for Iran is a nonprofit operated by Iranian activists and former political prisoners. To highlight systematic abuse by the government, they created the Iran Prison Atlas: a comprehensive database of Iran’s prisoners, prisons, and judges.
They have also been instrumental to the launch of subversive apps like Gershad — which tracks the movements of Iran’s morality police — and the period tracking app Hamdam, which covertly helps women navigate discriminatory laws centered on marriage, employment, and education.
“It’s reaching out to women – and men – not familiar with their rights, empowering women to take control over their own bodies and breaking taboos around women’s bodies and rights,” said Hamdam creator Soudeh Rad.
Iran Human Rights Documentation Center
The Iran Human Rights Documentation Center is an independent nonprofit founded by human rights scholars and lawyers in 2004. They conduct fact-finding missions, provide Iranians with data on human rights violations, and orchestrate public advocacy campaigns aimed at the United Nations.
Recently, the IHRDC has put public pressure on the UN to recognize “gender apartheid” as a crime against humanity. Its implementation into international law could strengthen the UN’s ability to interfere in Iran.
“Under international law, the crime of apartheid only applies to racial hierarchies, not hierarchies based on gender,” IHRDC chief director Gissou Nia told the Guardian.
“This campaign will seek to expand the set of moral, political, and legal tools available to mobilize international action against and ultimately end systems of gender apartheid.”
The Iranian Diaspora Collective
The Iranian Diaspora Collective is a non-partisan, queer-led, multi-faith group of first- and second-generation Iranians working in the media to amplify coverage of the “Woman, Life, Freedom” movement. The grassroots group was formed in direct response to Amini’s death and the protests that followed.
In addition to engineering global billboard campaigns that raised awareness for the protests, the IDC once launched a fundraiser for “Keep Iran Online.” The project aims to provide internet access to Iranians as the Islamic Republic of Iran censors websites and social media platforms.
The IDC has been crucial to amplifying the voices of on-the-ground activists and citizen journalists as their government tries to silence them.
“This is the first revolution in modern times led by women and girls,” IDC cofounder Moj Mahdara told Forbes. “They want an end to the Islamic Republic of Iran. They do not want to live in a theocratic government. They want the chance at a democracy.”
A version of this article originally appeared in the 2024 Gender Edition of the Goodnewspaper.
Header image via C.Suthorn (CC BY-SA 4.0)
