March 21 is Iranian New Year and Women in Prison

We are nearing the Iranian New Year. As millions of Iranians inside and outside the country celebrate NowRooz, those who are in prison and their families especially children of the prisoners feel no urge for celebrations. The number of political and ideological prisobners in Iran is not known but we know that tens of women from lawyers to student activists and women's rights activists are spending another new year behind bars. These include Nasrin Sotudeh, the famous lawyer with two children, 13 and 4 years who are too yong to understand the reason their mother is being kept behind bars,  

Women of Iran had relentlessly protested against the segregation and sexual apartheid and unjust laws which discriminates them.Two years ago a number of women a group of women in objected to the discriminatory Family Bill collected 15,000 signature from across the country and delivered them to the deputies. That bill is still in the parliament waiting to b e passed.

On the eve of the New Year Iranian women want equality, justice and freedom in the personal as well as public lives. This is their human rights which must be respected by the Islamic Republic of Iran.