Protests in Iran: when women are leading the way

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Protests in Iran: when women are leading the way. An exchange with Masih Alinejad

In mid-September 2022, protests broke out across Iran after the death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old woman picked up by the morality police. Ever since, Iranian women and men alike have taken to the streets nationwide to protest. The focus, scope, and length of these protests, as well as the level of participation in Iran and abroad, have been unprecedented since the 1979 Revolution.

This event will shed light on the current situation, with a specific focus on the strategic and unparalleled role of women in these protests. Observers note that it may well be the first time in history that women have been both the spark and engine for an attempted counter-revolution. Since recent research shows that women’s participation facilitates the likeliness of success of mass movements, the discussion will also explore the possible outcomes of these protests.

Guest speakers:

• Masih Alinejad, Iranian journalist and activist, founder of My Stealthy Freedom, an initiative launched in 2014
• Dr. Elisabeth Marteu, Lecturer at Sciences Po's Paris School of International Affairs (PSIA), political scientist, and expert on gender, peace and security related issues
• Dr. Maria J. Stephan, Co-Lead & Chief Organizer, The Horizons Project, and co-author (with Dr. Erica Chenoweth) of Why Civil Resistance Works: The Strategic Logic of Nonviolent Conflict (2012).

Welcome remarks by Arancha Gonzalez, Dean, Sciences Po's Paris School of International Affairs (PSIA)

Moderator: Dr. Tina Robiolle, Academic Advisor and Lecturer, Sciences Po's Paris School of International Affairs (PSIA). 

Read more about the guest speakers' biographies