We challenge society’s indifference towards the issue of violence.

“متن راست چین”

“Right-aligned text”
Jewel-like appearance

“I met a man in an intellectual relationship who I thought thinks like me. From the beginning of our marriage, the excuses started. Why do you hold hands with your friends? Why do men always make you the target of their conversations?”

Story of Tehran.

“I have decided several times to complain about him or go to a legal doctor to show my body, which was bruised and sore. I have banged my head against the wall and pulled my hair so much that I always have a headache. But the honor of my daughters has always been the reason for my denial.”

Story of Karaj, Afghan Immigrant Woman.

“When guests arrive or leave, pay attention to all the details of their behavior and start arguments about the woman’s actions. If the woman is quiet, they would ask why she was quiet, and if she laughed, they would say she laughed too much. In all cases and in these 15 years of marriage, self-confidence has always been killed in women and they always show off their intelligence and knowledge and talk about their education.”

Narrative of Rasht.

“Yes, my heart was pure. My husband used to say that he would never trade me for the world. I told him, they say our daughter is missing, and he replied that it’s better for her to be lost than for anyone to see her remains. I believed he was telling the truth. My heart was so pure that I made a vow to wait until they bring her marriage certificate to our home, so I can be sure. Everyone told me that your husband took your daughter. They were right, they both disappeared from the village together.”

Narrative of Bandar Abbas.

These are lines from the narratives of women who have experienced violence, coming from different corners of Iran; very tangible narratives that if you sit down and listen to any woman, you can hear them from near or far. It was to collect these narratives that the campaign against domestic violence was formed; very painful and bitter narratives that, although unpleasant, are necessary for our ears that have become accustomed to hearing and passing by bad things, so that we do not forget. If we hear something bad, we must look for a solution. We want to reflect these narratives with everything we have and challenge the indifference of society towards them.

On the eve of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women on December 4, 2016, we launched a campaign called “Preventing Domestic Violence” with a handful of women’s rights activists. The goal of this campaign was to address issues that were previously overlooked by many women’s rights activists: raising awareness in society about domestic violence against women. We pursued this goal through two specific actions. First, we collected testimonies from women who have experienced violence and witnesses of domestic violence to show the seriousness and extent of this issue, which cannot be ignored, and to provide evidence of the need for comprehensive organization to prevent it. Second, we gathered opinions from individuals, especially women who have experienced violence, to draft a law to prevent domestic violence against women. Fortunately, before this campaign, a group of lawyers had already prepared a draft law to prevent domestic violence. However, it is still necessary for civil society and women to express their opinions on how they want this law to be

From the beginning, we have said that this campaign has no document. Its document is its demand. We are simply designing a tool to facilitate our demands, a tool that can change along the way; a tool that we try to make as simple and efficient as possible with the experiences we gain along the way so that different groups of women can use them. For example, simple cards with simple messages that encourage people to write down their own experiences or those of their loved ones with domestic violence on paper. Or very simple educational-promotional workshops in which, in addition to explaining what domestic violence is and its consequences, we emphasize the importance of writing down experiences and laws as a solution for preventing domestic violence and collect the narratives of participating women along with their opinions on the draft law.

من دوست دارم که به تعطیلات بروم

I love to go on vacation.

We have no illusions about the social power that has launched this campaign. We know our numbers are small and we do not expect to be able to make a widespread impact in such a short time (one year) and with a small number. However, we believe that due to the importance of the issue, we can penetrate among those very women whom we are trying to reach with our limited human resources. We know that this desire is not enough, but we consider it very necessary.

If you are also willing to volunteer and be active in this social movement, please contact the Telegram channel administrator for the campaign.

@pdvci.

Or email campaign.

[email protected]. translates to “[email protected].”

Send a message.

For more familiarity with the campaign.

Campaign plan.

And.

Guidebook.

Read it.