Bay Area Iranian Americans will gather in downtown San Jose tomorrow afternoon to celebrate International Women's Day and Iranian women's resilience and courage during the course of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
The following is the press release distributed by the ad-hoc committee formed to organize the event. International Women's Day is celebrated on March 8 of every year around the world.
PRESS RELEASE
The Committee in Solidarity with Iranian Women’s Movement
March 04, 2010
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
In Solidarity with Iranian Women
Celebrating Thirty One Years of Resilience and Courage
Sunday, March 7, 2010, 1-4 pm
Cesar Chavez Plaza, Downtown San Jose
(San Jose, CA) – An ad hoc committee to celebrate Iranian women’s movement will host a rally in honor of International Women’s Day on March 7, 2010. The event is to be held in recognition of the courage and resilience Iranian women have shown during the last thirty one years of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
An event of brief talks, dance and musical performances, play and readings will take place at Cesar Chavez Plaza in downtown San Jose from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. — its highlight, a solidarity message by the founding member of the One Million Signature Campaign and winner of the 2007 Olof Palme prize Parvin Ardalan. Suzanne Doty, Chair of the Santa Clara County Commission on the Status of Women, Lata patil, Founder and President of Cardea Women's Center, along with Nancy Hormachea, Founder and Co-chair of the Iran Subcommittee of the National Lawyers Guild, novelist Susanne Pari and Kurdish activist Rojan will speak on the status of women world over and Iranian women in particular. Playwright and director Mansour Taeed will stage a short play. Marzieh Gauchpour, founder of Soarna Dance Studio, Shahrzad of Shahrzad Dance Academy, spiritual singer Parisa Vaaleh, and musician Ali Bazyar will also perform.
Since the beginning of the Islamic Republic of Iran thirty one years ago, the Iranian women’s struggle to fight for freedom and equality has been at the forefront of Iran’s civil rights movements and has rightfully impacted the Iranian society’s endeavor for greater freedom. In a celebration of International Women’s Day and at the dawn of the Islamic Republic, thousands of women poured into streets of Tehran on March 8th, 1979. Since then and on a daily basis, Iranian women have struggled for freedom, employed various strategies to promote gender equality, and have initiated different campaigns to fight against gender discrimination. During the course of their struggle, Iranian women have been facing insults, threats, arrests, imprisonment, and even torture. Nevertheless, during the recent uprising resulted from the contested outcome of the presidential election, the world has become to embrace and witness the courage of Iranian women who next to men risked their lives for freedom and equality.
The event is co-sponsored by Kavosh Women’s Group, Iranian Society for Human Rights, NorCal4Iran, Zanan Group and Amnesty International. The Committee in Solidarity with Iranian Women’s Movement has been formed to demonstrate unity with Iranian women and to celebrate their resilience and bravery in the face of adversity and discrimination.
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For more information, please contact:
Roshan (English speaking): 415 894 2351
Parissa (Persian speaking): 925-300-7789
Media calls only: 408-243-2222
irwomenmovement@gmail.com
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