International Feminism

Feminists around the world are fighting for equality, justice, and liberty. Some countries are vocal about domestic violence, constitutional rights, and sexual harassment, while others fight for property ownership, against abortion laws, and obedience to husbands.

We honor the rebellious campaigns within our respective countries, but might not practice the same feminist habits for our sisters around the world. Furthermore, we may even honor their oppression without knowing it. But we can’t be fair-weather feminists.At the Power Women Summit in fall 2018, I had the honor of meeting Masih Alinejad, an Iranian American journalist who lives in exile in New York City, after being expelled from Iran for her criticism of Iranian authorities. She goes by Masih, meaning Messiah––a leader or savior of a particular group or cause and she acts as such to women in Iran. She fights against the compulsory hijab, and taught me about what it means to be an International Feminist.

The hijab is a veil worn by Muslim women, but in Iran it is compulsory and is used as an oppressive mechanism. In many other Islamic countries and communities, it is a choice, but after the Iranian Revolution in 1979, it has become law for women to wear the Hijab. The fight is not against the Hijab itself, but rather against the oppressive culture it permits. Individuals have the right to their body and their appearance and this should not be a matter for the governing regime to enforce. The Supreme Leader of Iran uses the western #MeToo movement as a way to justify the compulsory hijab as a way of protecting women from sexual harassment. He fights against Western Women and says that their deviant lifestyle is what causes sexual assault.

But the degradation of women does not come from the image that women put out for themselves, but rather it is that Iranian women are banned from singing in public, cannot attend public sports events and need a husband’s approval to get a passport or travel outside the country. By deviating from the compulsory Hijab, it places many women at serious and immediate risk of unjust imprisonment, while sending a chilling message to others to keep quiet while their rights are being violated.

In 2014, Masih started an online movement that sparked nationwide protests against the compulsory hijab. She was living in London, and posted a photo with her hair down, and women from home commented saying, “Masih, don’t post these pictures, we envy you”. When she returned to Iran, she posted a photo without her scarf, driving in her car, proving that she could be free wherever and whenever she wanted. Shortly after, My Stealthy Freedom was born, a campaign that more than one million women have since joined her on the journey to freedom.

When people from other countries visit Iran, they wear the Hijab to respect the culture, but what many do not realize is that they are respecting oppression––something many would refuse to do in their own countries.

By not conforming to traditional values and combining our voices globally, we can achieve change locally.

Masih encourages and embraces a global sisterhood. Wherever you are, practice local feminism. When we travel to a new country, we obey their laws. But in conversation withMasih, she points out that in America, slavery was a law, and it would be ridiculous for foreigners to honor that culture.

In Iran, they are not just overthrowing the regime, but women are launching cultural revolutions. When feminists go abroad, we need to stand up for freedom everywhere, and actively critique the cultures around us, rather than passively be a hypocrite. As Americans, it is our privilege to exercise our freedom internationally and keep growing our sisterhood.

By Anushka Joshi