News Center- The International Women’s Day is annually observed on March 8 by all women around the world. Every year, women take to the streets to demand their rights and fight gender-based violence and femicide. However, women are arrested in Iran for participating in protests.

The Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) has released a report including statistical information on the situation of women in Iran from March 2022 to March 2023. According to the report, at least 3,953 women were arrested in Iran during the protests from September 2022 to March 2023. Hrana identified 1,019 arrested women, 160 of them were female university students.

“It is estimated that at least 66 women were killed in Iran during the protests. These numbers show that women are not only being targeted for their activism, but also for their participation in peaceful protests. The arbitrary arrests and detentions of women demonstrate that the government is willing to use excessive force to silence dissent,” the report said.

 At least 2,003 women were reprimanded in different ways

 The Hrana also reported that in the same period, at least 2,003 women were reprimanded in different ways, including being summoned to police authorities, due to the improper wearing of the hijab. “The mandatory hijab law in Iran is a clear violation of women’s rights and freedom of expression. The fact that women are being punished for not adhering to the hijab law indicates that the government is imposing its religious beliefs on its citizens.

“Honor” killings

 The report also included the number of women who were killed in the name of “Honor”. The report said, “At least 15 women and 7 men were killed for “honor” reasons. “Honor” killings are a brutal practice in which women are murdered by their family members for bringing “dishonor” to their family. This practice is not only a violation of women’s rights, but the practice also serves as a grave violation of human rights and the right to life.”

‘2 women received death penalty’

The Hrana also reported that two women received the death penalty in the same period and “At least 14 female death-row inmates were executed in different prisons.”

The report also said, “In the reporting period, 92 cases of closure of guilds and organizations have been reported due to non-observance of hijab by the owner or staff. In this case, 62 reports of discrimination in social environments were reported due to women’s gender. The closure of businesses and organizations due to non-observance of hijab laws is not only discriminatory but also negatively impacts the economic opportunities available to women.”

Poisoning in schools

 “During the time period covered by this report, poisonous substances were used in organized attacks on schools, which primarily targeted girls’ schools. Since the beginning of December 2022, at least 290 attacks on schools affecting at least 7,060 students have been reported. This number of affected students is exclusive to the 103 schools that have reported data in this regard,” the Hrana said in the report.