Chapter 6
Future Prospects


The advancements and achievements of women in this Resistance movement, particularly their ascension to leadership and command positions, translate into the reality that women will annihilate the mullahs' misogynous regime. Their status in the Resistance is the best guarantee that democracy will be instituted and preserved in the post-mullah Iran. This is important, because in most resistance movements, women were marginalized after victory, despite their active role. In our movement, however, this would be impossible, because of two special characteristics:

1. In diametric opposition to the mullahs' rule of absolute male-dominance, the Iranian Resistance is led, commanded and managed essentially by our women.
2. The National Council of Resistance has adopted a concrete plan to guarantee the equality of men and women in tomorrow's free Iran. All members of the Resistance are committed to this program.

Last June, I enumerated a 16-article Charter of Fundamental Freedoms for Future Iran for my fellow compatriots. I reiterated, among others, the rights and freedoms of Iranian women, summarized as:

- The right to elect and be elected in all elections, and the right to suffrage in all referendums.
- The right to employment and freedom of choice in profession, and the right to hold any public or government position, office, or profession, including presidency and judgeship in all judicial bodies.

- The right to free political and social activity and travel without the permission of another person.
- The right to freely choose clothing and covering.
- The right to use, without discrimination, all instructional, educational, athletic, and artistic resources, and the right to participate in all athletic competitions and artistic activities.
- Recognition of women's associations and support for their voluntary formation throughout the country.
- Consideration of special privileges in various social, administrative, and cultural fields to abolish inequality and the dual oppression of women.
- Equal pay for equal work, prohibition of discrimination in hiring and during employment.
- The right to salary and special accommodations during pregnancy, childbirth, and care of infants.
- Absolute freedom of choice regarding spouse and marriage, which can take place only with the consent of both parties.
- Equal right to divorce; women and men are equal in presenting grounds for divorce.
- Support for widowed and divorced women and for children in their custody; care will be provided through the National Social Welfare System.
- Elimination of legal inequalities with regard to testimony, guardianship, custody and inheritance.
- In family life, any form of compulsion or coercion of the wife is prohibited.
- Polygamy is prohibited.
- Prohibition of all forms of sexual exploitation of women on any pretext.
I should reiterate here, that since democracy, progress and advancement depend on the emancipation of women, any legislation or social planning must, before all else, consider the question of women's equality with men. The present charter has been drafted and adopted with this in mind. In future, too, more plans and amendments providing for the rights of women and women's equality will be drafted on the same basis.

Our message

If the next century is to be called the century of women's emancipation, then all political, economic, social and cultural progress must travel this road. The emancipation of women is the issue of our time. On the path to resolve the most urgent problem of our society, toppling a religious dictatorship, and instituting freedom and democracy in Iran, we ended up needing to liberate our women, both to vanquish the regime and to guarantee the freedom and prosperity of future Iran.

Peace, progress, and democracy are contingent upon the emancipation of women, the equality of women and men, and women in leadership. Ignoring or neglecting this reality will inevitably aggravate the situation and contribute to war, violence, dictatorship and retrogression.
Allow me to conclude my speech with a summary of our experiences in the emancipation of women:

1. There must be a revolution in thinking, to abolish views and values based on gender-discrimination and male domination, in the conviction that physiological differences do not impede the complete equality of women and men, and that any deprivation or constraints on women's social and individual rights are unjustifiable. This revolution in thinking must be complemented by a guiding ideology or principle.
2. Having realized their historic responsibility, women must undertake roles in leadership and management, so that the system of male-dominated relationships is overturned. To this end, women must undertake at least 50% of leadership responsibilities.
3. We must compensate for women's historical retardation with preferential treatment lasting for a specific period of time. To this end, it is necessary to establish quotas in favor of greater participation of women in various positions of social responsibilities, particularly leadership. Whatever the circumstances, these privileges must, in spirit, content and practice, serve the interests of emancipation and acceptance of greater responsibility by men and women, and of the rejection of gender-based oppression and exploitation.
4. Women's emancipation must result in the emancipation of men, as well. In fact, the emancipation of women is a precondition for the emancipation of men. Such new relationships are essential to our men, women and children.
Ideologies which do not promote the unity and common identity of women and men seek to eliminate women and further alienate women and men from each other. In practice, this will lead nowhere and fail to result in the emancipation of women. The common nature and identity of men and women, however, and the prospects of instituting humane relationships, mean that equal rights for men and women is an absolutely realistic goal. The 21st century is the century to end gender discrimination and emancipate women. It is the century of peace, development and democracy. At the same time, the reactionaries and fundamentalists, arising from the depths of the Dark Ages, are poised to turn back the wheels of history with their misogyny. They do not realize that in many parts of the world, including Iran, they will be swept from the pages of history by the capable hands of liberated women.

This is the historic mandate of the free women of our time. If left undone, human society and civilization are exposed to the threat of reactionaries. Doubtless, the anti-thesis of the misogynous fundamentalists and reactionaries, are the free women who will rise up, hand in hand, against them. With the progress of their growing resistance, they will realize the emancipation