Oslo Women's Rights Initiative

In a much expected move, the dictatorial regime of @FEGnassingbe shutdown TikTok in #Togo at midnight ahead of the protests announced to resume today. The Togolese people have been very active online most particularly on TikTok which became central in mobilizing against this tyrnanical regime. Faure Gnassingbe, you can shut down infrastructures but you can never shut down our will to end your barbaric dynasty. Togo will be free #FaureMustGo #FreeTogo #TogoDebout

While the media is covering Israeli _Iran war , Israel kills a child every 40 minutes, a woman every 70 minutes&a person every 15 minute in #Gaza, It opens fire on the hungry searching for food, in death traps unprecedented in history

Following #Israel’s attacks and the Iranian regime’s shutdown orders, #Internet access has been cut off for over 60 hours. According to NetBlocks, this widespread outage has severely limited freedom of expression, access to information, and free communication for citizens.

What does “Evacuate Tehran” even mean? Tehran is home to 10 million human beings — it holds the country’s critical infrastructure, hospitals, government institutions, kindergartens, primary schools, universities, laboratories, homes, prisons, factories, industrial zones employing thousands of workers, markets, stores, bridges, roads, the impoverished, waste collectors, child laborers, street vendors, women who are the sole providers for their families, journalists, cafés, parks, and amusement centers. Which of them are we meant to carry on our shoulders to save from death and devastation? Do not destroy my city. End this war. #NoToWar #Tehran #Iran

This seems like an awfully good time to remind folks that as we speak, Egypt has at least 150 people behind bars for their support and solidarity for the people of Gaza. (h/t @EIPR).

#Gaza is being silenced&muted amid #starvation&relentless war Gaza is denied access to everything

The murder of Elaheh Hoseinnezhad did not occur simply on the road between Tehran and Eslamshahr—it happened along a path paved by systemic, state-driven violence against women. A path that stretches across the entire geography of Iran. The shocking discovery of Elaheh’s murder—two weeks after she went missing—has alarmed and outraged the public. What can be done? In this climate of grief and fury, the simplest image that comes to mind is that of the male murderer, Elaheh, and the Tehran–Eslamshahr road—a scene so brutal that even a symbolic reconstruction by the police has not taken place. So far, the supposed motives—ranging from an iPhone to compulsory hijab, to rape—keep shifting. The prosecution and punishment of Elaheh’s killer is necessary. But for society, the picture is much wider, and far more painful: “Honor killings” happen every other day in Iran, according to published statistics. A woman is murdered by her father, husband, or brother—and it is called an “honor crime.” The legal system seems to scream in complicity. The systematic chemical attacks on girls’ schools, which the government continues to deny. Women burned in acid attacks, while the authorities remain silent. Arrests, torture, imprisonment, executions, rape, and sexual violence against women protesting compulsory hijab and participating in the “Woman, Life, Freedom” movement—violence that the state has not only failed to stop, but has actively incited and committed. Laws that impose systemic, deadly discrimination on women—in the home, in families, and in both private and public life. These laws are reinforced by religious justifications, shielding the perpetrators from criticism, accountability, or remorse. A government that, for 46 years, has used every tool—from law and structural violence to education and propaganda—to dominate and oppress women. A government that openly refuses to ratify the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), and whose domestic bill to prevent violence against women remains stalled in Parliament. A government that continues to make streets, homes, and even personal vehicles unsafe, monitored, and sites of harassment and violence for women. Which judicial authority will hold Elaheh’s killer—and the brutal violence against her—accountable? Beyond the man who drove the knife into Elaheh’s chest, who else will be placed on trial? In this case, a judiciary that is neither independent nor just may hold a trial. But since the state—and this very judiciary—are central actors in perpetuating violence against women, justice will not be served. Narges Mohammadi June 7, 2025

از اعتصاب سراسری کامیون داران حمایت میکنم. #اعتصاب_کامیونداران #شهاب_دارابی #نرگس_محمدی

Narges Mohammadi’s message on reproductive rights, abortion rights, and ending gender apartheid worldwide, delivered to the Nobel Peace Center conference ‘Reclaiming Our Rights’ “On March 8, 1979, thousands of women marched the streets of Tehran for 3 days, protesting the imposed forced hijab law. They chanted, for women’s rights, seeding a movement that In 2022, became a historic uprising. Sparked by the killing of Mahsa Jina Amini, rooted in decades of oppression. Our sisters in Afghanistan also endure unspeakable suffering under the Taliban’s gender apartheid regime. They are banned from education, employment, and public life. punished simply for being a woman. beyond our region, women and girls across the globe face gender-based violence, femicide, sexual abuse, harassment, and systemic discrimination daily. So I ask you today , Isn’t it time we call gender apartheid a crime against humanity? In 2025, in Iran a woman still needs a man’s permission to obtain a passport. Violating the mandatory hijab law can lead to 74 lashes, imprisonment, or even having one’s car impounded. Husbands can legally block their wives from working. Singing and dancing by women in public is banned. Girls are forced to wear the hijab as young as six years old. Execution sentences are still looming over married women accused of adultery while getting a divorce is often impossible for women under the Islamic Republic laws. Abortion is criminalized unless pre approved. Access to Birth control pills have been limited and there have been cases that doctors were pressured to report pregnancies. Under the “Youthful Population and Protection of the Family” Law free access to condoms, birth control pills, and IUDs has been cut off — putting women’s health at risk. These policies not only violate human rights but they are also pushing women toward dangerous underground alternatives. This is systematic oppression. This is gender apartheid and it must end. The current legal framework fails to name the severity of this crime — leaving women in countries like Iran and Afghanistan with no protection. For generations, women have endured violence, domination, and silence. We cannot claim to stand for human rights while women’s rights are at risk. youtu.be/gUaK6H7aJF8 @NobelPeaceOslo #NobelPeaceCenter #NobelPeacePrize #NargesMohammadi #GenderApartheid

“Our sisters in Afghanistan also endure unspeakable suffering under the Taliban’s gender apartheid regime. They are banned from education, employment, and public life. punished simply for being a woman. beyond our region, women and girls across the globe face gender-based violence, femicide, sexual abuse, harassment, and systemic discrimination daily. So I ask you today , Isn’t it time we call gender apartheid a crime against humanity?” youtu.be/gUaK6H7aJF8 #EndGenderApartheid #GenderApartheid #Womensrights

“In 2025, in Iran a woman still needs a man’s permission to obtain a passport. Violating the mandatory hijab law can lead to 74 lashes, imprisonment, or even having one’s car impounded. Husbands can legally block their wives from working. Singing and dancing by women in public is banned. Girls are forced to wear the hijab as young as six years old. Execution sentences are still looming over married women accused of adultery while getting a divorce is often impossible for women under the Islamic Republic laws.” youtu.be/gUaK6H7aJF8 #Waronwomen #genderapartheid

I’m looking forward to this timely conversation, please join us in person if you’re in the DMV area. RSVP below 👇

The EGA team recently joined @MalalaFund @Civ_Engagement in South Africa to bring together a delegation of women from Afghanistan, where they met with South African jurists and human rights leaders to share, learn and build solidarity to codify gender apartheid.

On International Workers’ Day, we honor the memory of the workers who paid the ultimate price—losing their lives, health, livelihoods, and families—because of the regime’s ruthless and unjust policies. Today, our hearts are with the families and survivors of the Bandar Abbas tragedy; your grief is our shared sorrow. I also remember with deep respect my dear cellmates in the women’s ward of Evin Prison—brave labor activists and supporters of Iran’s hardworking people—who, from behind bars across the country, continue to breathe life and meaning into the struggle for freedom and justice. May your steadfastness and resistance endure. The road to liberation from oppression and the dawn of a just and democratic society begins with unity—true, unwavering, and nationwide. #LabourDay2025 #LabourDay #WorkersDay2025 #WorkersDay #Iran #LabourActivists

After Many Birthdays Behind Bars, This Year Narges Mohammadi Marks 53rd Birthday Out of Prison Today, April 21, Narges Mohammadi turns 53—marking her birthday outside prison walls for the first time in years, after a temporary suspension of her sentence was granted following a critical surgery in late 2024. Mohammadi was granted a 21-day sentence suspension on December 4, 2024. She was transferred home with an ambulance to recover, but since then, Iranian authorities have repeatedly ordered her return to prison—most recently on February 28, 2025. Despite the mounting pressure—including harassment of friends and fellow activists—Mohammadi remains out of prison in an act of civil disobedience, refusing to legitimize the unjust actions of the regime. On her birthday, we at the Narges Foundation envision a future where no activist ever has to endure the inside of a prison again. As we celebrate her presence outside of prison today, we stand in memory of the many birthdays she spent behind bars—and in solidarity with those who are still denied that freedom. Read Narges Foundation’s Full Statement here : narges.foundation/happy-birthday… Portrait of Narges Mohammadi is by Nooshin Jafari #NargesFoundation

To break the cycle of oppression, the world must see and remember what has happened to women. Our stories must be told, engraved in collective memory, and turned into action. Silence is complicity. We must expose the truth, challenge the conscience of society, and stand together in global solidarity. In Iran and Afghanistan, women face systemic, organized violence. But we are not victims—we are fighters. Our voices must rise above fear. We must stand against those who deny women freedom, dignity, and democracy. Gender apartheid is a crime against humanity, and the world must recognize it as such. Change begins when we refuse to accept oppression as fate. Sisters, our time is now. Let us be louder. Let us be unstoppable. Let us act—together. A message by Narges Mohammadi for @vogue_italia for 8th of march

Narges Mohammadi Calls for Global Unity to Criminalize Gender Apartheid on March 8th : As March 8 approaches, I want to speak to all women. This is a call to action. Women in Iran and Afghanistan are on the frontlines of a universal battle against gender apartheid. They risk everything to reclaim the rights that should never have been taken from them. Their fight is not just theirs—it is ours. Their resistance proves that no regime, no power, no oppression can silence women. But words alone are not enough. Now is the time to act. We must build true solidarity—not just in spirit, but in determination, in movement, in real change. Women must lead this global struggle. The path ahead is difficult, but history is made by those who refuse to accept injustice. We must not fear. We must stand against those who violate women’s rights—those who do not believe in democracy, those who seek to control our bodies and minds. I am grateful to the Nobel Peace Center, the Nobel Institute, and the Norwegian Nobel Committee for standing with me and with the “Woman, Life, Freedom movement.” This solidarity strengthens our fight and brings us closer to a world where freedom and equality are not just ideals, but realities. “Woman, Life, Freedom” is more than a slogan—it is a way of living. And together, we will make it a reality.” Narges Mohammadi March 2025 narges.foundation/narges-mohamma…

As #InternationalWomensDay approaches, Narges Mohammadi, Nobel Peace Prize laureate 2023, has a message to the world. #FreeNarges #NargesMohammadi @nargesfnd @NobelPrize

A group of over 100 civil, human rights, political and media activists from Kurdistan have issued a statement calling for the immediate annulment of the death sentence imposed on Kurdish political prisoner #Pakhshan_Azizi and a review of her case. 🔗kurdistanhumanrights.org/en/news/execut…

I’m excited to share Rule Breakers, a film that tells my journey and the incredible story of Afghan girls breaking barriers in STEAM education. It reflects a time of hope and determination, showing what is possible when girls are given the chance to lead and inspire. This story wouldn’t have been possible without the amazing support from so many people along the way. A heartfelt thank you to director Bill Guttentag, the talented writers, and the entire @AngelStudiosInc team for bringing this journey to life. Your dedication to authentically capturing the challenges and resilience behind this story is truly remarkable. Rule Breakers premieres on March 7th. I hope you’ll join us in celebrating the power of education, resilience, and the voices of Afghan girls. #RuleBreakersFilm #STEAMEducation #HopeForAfghanistan #Resilience youtu.be/CW_P4zT6i9A?si…