One Million Signatures

{{Short description|Iranian women's rights campaign against discriminatory laws}} {{use dmy dates|date=April 2026}} 300px|right|thumb|Change for Equality logo

'''One Million Signatures for the Repeal of Discriminatory Laws''' (Persian: ''' {{Lang|fa|يک ميليون امضا برای لغو قوانين تبعيض آميز}}''' {{Lang|fa|Yek Milyun Emzā barā-ye Laghv-e Qavānin-e Tab‘iz Āmiz}}), also known as '''Change for Equality''', was a campaign by women in Iran to collect one million signatures in support of changing discriminatory laws against women in their country, started in August 2006. The campaign is also known as the '''Campaign for One Million Signatures''' ('''CFOMS'''). Activists of the movement were attacked and jailed by the Iranian Government, and the campaign had to extend its two-year target to collect the full number of signatures. The campaign has received wide international recognition. Prominent journalistic, human rights, and pro-democracy organizations have awarded important prizes to both the organization and some of its members.

== History == Iranian women's rights activists in Iran started the campaign to follow up a peaceful protest with the same aim in 2006 in Haft-e Tir Square in Tehran.<ref name=pen/> The campaign was officially launched on 28 August 2006,<ref name=golkar2024>{{cite web | last=Golkar | first=Niloofar | title=We Change: On the Processes of Iran's One Million Signature Campaign | website=NO NIIN Magazine | date=October 2024 | url=https://no-niin.com/issue-27/we-change-on-the-processes-of-irans-one-million-signature-campaign/index.html | access-date=3 April 2026}}</ref> at a seminar entitled ''The Effect of Laws on Women's Lives'',{{cn|date=April 2026}} (Persian: {{Lang|fa|تاثیر قوانین بر زندگی در حال زنان}} {{Lang|fa|Taaseereh ghavaaneen bar zendegee dar haaleh zanaan}}).

Lawyer and women's rights advocate Nasrin Sotoudeh was one of the first to join the movement, which was also known as the Campaign for One Million Signatures (CFOMS). She later defended other members of CFOMS, including Noushin Ahmadi Khorasani, Khadijeh Moghaddam, Raheleh Asgarizadeh, Nasim Khosravi, Amir Yaghoub-Ali, and Nahid Jafari.<ref name=pen>{{citation|url=https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/tehranbureau/2011/04/nasrin-sotoudeh-sentenced-to-11-years-wins-freedom-to-write-award.html|title=Nasrin Sotoudeh, Sentenced to 11 Years, Wins PEN Freedom to Write Award| first1=Muhammad | last1=Sahimi | first2= Dan | last2=Geist|work=Tehran Bureau|date=13 April 2011}}</ref>

Activists of the movement have been attacked and jailed by the government, and the campaign had to extend its original two-year target to collect the full number of signatures.<ref name=WE>[http://womensenews.org/2008/09/irans-womens-rights-activists-are-being-smeared/ Iran's Women's Rights Activists Are Being Smeared] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170510191609/http://womensenews.org/2008/09/irans-womens-rights-activists-are-being-smeared/ |date=2017-05-10 }}, Nayereh Tohidi, Women's eNews, September 17, 2008; accessed September 21, 2008.</ref><ref name=LAT>[http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/asection/la-fg-marriage3-2008sep03,0,5861662.story victory on marriage legislation], Borzou Daragahi, ''Los Angeles Times'', September 3, 2008; accessed September 21, 2008.</ref>

== Goals and strategy== As well as collecting a million signatures to support reform of the law, the campaign, in its own words, also aims to achieve the following:{{cn|date=April 2026}}

# Promotion of collaboration and cooperation for social change # Identification of women's needs and priorities # Amplifying women's voices # Increasing knowledge, promoting democratic action # Paying dues # The power of numbers # Power in diversity

The campaign seeks to secure equal rights in marriage and inheritance, an end to polygamy, and stricter punishments for honour killings and other forms of violence.<ref>[http://www.newstatesman.com/asia/2008/09/women-rights-iran-blogs-online "Battle of the blogs" by Asieh Amini, Published 11 September 2008]</ref>

The organizers of the campaign consider that its demands conform to Islamic principles, and are in line with Iran's international commitments. As a signatory to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, Iran has committed to eliminate all forms of discrimination, and needs to take specific action in reforming laws that promote discrimination. These demands are in no way contradictory to the foundations of Islam, and have been discussed among Islamic jurists and scholars for some time.{{Citation needed|date=June 2021}} The organizers hoped that a million-signature petition will demonstrate, to decision-makers and the general public, that the desire to change discriminatory laws against women is not limited to a small segment of society, but widespread among diverse parts of the Iranian population.{{cn|date=April 2026}}

Similar signature campaigns have been held in other countries. Specifically, women in Morocco held a "One Million Signature" campaign for women's rights in 1992.<ref>Zakia Salime, Between Feminism and Islam: Human Rights and Sharia Law in Morocco (Minneapolis, MN: University of Minnesota Press, 2011): 32-34.</ref> The ''Million Signatures'' campaign was initiated solely by Iranian women in Iran without any support from any foreign countries. However, it has been active in collecting signatures both from Iranian citizens who live in Iran, and from those who are residents of other countries.{{cn|date=April 2026}}

The campaign has been described as a way to take advantage of the "figurative walls" of privacy in Iran.<ref>Majd, Hooman, ''The Ayatollah Begs to Differ : The Paradox of Modern Iran'', by Hooman Majd, Doubleday, 2008, p.188</ref> A political demonstration may find little publicity and its participants may be beaten and arrested—as happened at the 12 June 2006 demonstration. However, signature seekers "fan out in ones and twos, to small towns and villages, going into shops, beauty salons, schools and offices, or stand at bus stops explaining 'face to face' how the Iranian interpretation of Sharia law is stacked against half the population. They ask men and women to sign their petition."<ref>[https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/lipstick-revolution-irans-women-are-taking-on-the-mullahs-1632257.html Lipstick revolution: Iran's women are taking on the mullahs, by Katherine Butler, 26 Feb 2009]</ref>

== Persecution == Several participants in the peaceful gathering of women's rights defenders on 12 June 2006 in Hafte Tir Square, which ended with police violence and brutality and the arrest of 70 people, were tried and sentenced.<ref name="PV20070704">{{cite web|date=2007-07-04|title=Iran: Unexpected Sentence for Delaram Ali, Women's Rights Defender|publisher=Payvand|url=http://www.payvand.com/news/07/jul/1045.html|access-date=2009-07-10|archive-date=2018-02-06|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180206002549/http://www.payvand.com/news/07/jul/1045.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> They include Delaram Ali, Fariba Davoodi Mohajer, Noushin Ahmadi Khorasani, Parvin Ardalan, Shahla Entesari, Sussan Tahmasebi, Azadeh Forghani, Bahareh Hedayat and Bahare Alavi; Maryam Zia, Nasim Soltan Beigi, and Alieh Eghdam Doost did not receive their sentences at the same time. In an interview, prominent lawyer and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Shirin Ebadi called charges against the women baseless.<ref name="ROOZ743">{{cite web|author=Sepideh Abdi |date=2007-04-03 |title=Nasrin Sotoodeh Banned from Travel; Husband Accepts HR Award on her Behalf |publisher=Rooz Online |url=http://www.roozonline.com/english/news/newsitem/article/2007/april/03//ebadi-calls-charges-against-women-baseless.html |access-date=2009-07-10 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121002022644/http://www.roozonline.com/english/news/newsitem/article/2007/april/03//ebadi-calls-charges-against-women-baseless.html |archive-date=October 2, 2012 }}</ref> The sentences included jail terms, some of them suspended, and also various numbers of lashes. Nahid Siamdoust, writing in the ''New York Times'', referred to the campaign as having been "crushed".<ref name="Siamdoust-NYT">{{cite news|last1=Siamdoust|first1=Nahid |title=Why Iranian Women Are Taking Off Their Head Scarves|newspaper=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/03/opinion/sunday/iran-hijab-women-scarves.html?rref=collection%2Fsectioncollection%2Fsunday&action=click&contentCollection=sunday&region=stream&module=stream_unit&version=latest&contentPlacement=1&pgtype=sectionfront |access-date=5 February 2018 |agency=New York Times|date=3 February 2018}}</ref>

According to California State University professor Nayereh Tohidi, women collecting signatures for the campaign were attacked and arrested, which has slowed down its progress, causing the need to extend its two-year target.<ref name=WE/> For example, in March 2007, 33 women were arrested, mostly outside a Tehran courtroom where they had gathered to protest peacefully against the trial of five women—Fariba Davoudi Mohajer, Shahla Entesari, Noushin Ahmadi Khorassani, Parvin Ardalan and Sussan Tahmasebi – who were accused of “propaganda against the system”, “acting against national security” and “participating in an illegal demonstration” in connection with the 12 June 2006 demonstration.<ref name=AI20090717>{{cite web |title = Women's rights activist and lawyer violently arrested in Iran, says Amnesty International |publisher = Amnesty International |date = 2009-07-17 |url = http://www.amnestyusa.org/document.php?id=ENGUSA20090717001&lang=e |access-date = 2009-07-17 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090721130943/http://www.amnestyusa.org/document.php?id=ENGUSA20090717001&lang=e |archive-date = 2009-07-21 |url-status = dead }}</ref> As well as four of the women on trial, those arrested included Shadi Sadr and Mahboubeh Abbasgholizadeh, who were held over two weeks before being released on bail.{{cn|date=April 2026}}

On 4 November 2007, Ronak Safazadeh was arrested, the day after she collected signatures at a Children's Day celebration for the One Million Signature Campaign.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.iranhumanrights.org/2009/01/ronak-safazadeh|title=Ronak Safazadeh|date=25 January 2009}}</ref>

On 12 June 2008 Nasrin Sotoodeh and eight other women were arrested by security forces as they were preparing to attend a conference commemorating the national day of solidarity of Iranian women.<ref name="FEQ2009524">{{cite web|date=2009-05-24|title=Court Hearing of Nasrin Sotoodeh Postponed|url=http://www.forequality.info/english/spip.php/IMG/spip.php?article522|access-date=2009-07-10|archive-date=2016-02-22|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160222092231/http://www.forequality.info/english/spip.php/IMG/spip.php?article522|url-status=dead}}</ref>

After the victory over the marriage bill in September 2008, a court sentenced to jail four women leaders involved in the One Million Signatures campaign, for contributing to banned websites.<ref name=LAT/> They were identified as Maryam Hosseinkhah, Nahid Keshavarz, Jelveh Javaheri and Parvin Ardalan.<ref name=LAT/>

In October 2008, Esha Momeni, a graduate student of the School of Communications, Media and Arts at California State University, interviewed activists in Tehran for a film as part of her California-based studies.<ref name="IranFocus20081104">{{cite web|author=Hashem Kalantari and Fredrik Dahl|date=2008-11-04|title=Iran holds student living in U.S. on security charges|publisher=Reuters via Iran Focus|url=http://www.iranfocus.com/en/women/iran-holds-student-living-in-u.s.-on-security-charges-16619.html|access-date=2009-07-09|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090416194547/http://www.iranfocus.com/en/women/iran-holds-student-living-in-u.s.-on-security-charges-16619.html|archive-date=2009-04-16|url-status=dead}}</ref> She was arrested, initially for a driving offence, and prominent Iranian lawyer Mohammad Ali Dadkhah quoted officials of the Islamic Revolutionary Court as saying her detention related to involvement in the One Million Signatures campaign.<ref name="AFP20081025">{{cite web|author=Ali Akbar Dareini|date=2008-10-25|title=Lawyer Says Iran Should Release Arrested American|publisher=ABC News (Associated Press)|url=http://eastkurd.blog.co.uk/2009/07/08/mohammad-ali-dadkhah-lawyer-and-his-colleagues-were-arrested-6473357/|access-date=2009-07-09|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090812105641/http://eastkurd.blog.co.uk/2009/07/08/mohammad-ali-dadkhah-lawyer-and-his-colleagues-were-arrested-6473357/|archive-date=2009-08-12}}</ref> Momeni was released on bail in November 2008 after 28 days in Evin Prison, but was not allowed to leave Iran.<ref>{{cite news | author = Scott Simon | author-link = Scott Simon | title = Birthday Wishes For Imprisoned Journalist Saberi | url = https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=103490676 | work = Weekend Edition | publisher = NPR | date = 2009-04-25 | access-date = 2009-04-26}}</ref> In May 2009, she was still there.<ref name="CSUN20090325">{{cite web|author=Haleh Bakhash|date=2009-03-25|title=Commentary: Graduate student Esha Momeni is still being detained in Iran|publisher=Honolulu Advertiser, via California State University Northridge News Clippings Service|url=http://blogs.csun.edu/news/clips/2009/03/25/commentary-graduate-student-esha-momeni-is-still-being-detained-in-iran/|access-date=2009-07-09|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://swap.stanford.edu/20090419101538/http://blogs.csun.edu/news/clips/2009/03/25/commentary-graduate-student-esha-momeni-is-still-being-detained-in-iran/|archive-date=2009-04-19}}</ref>

== Recognition and awards == === Olof Palme Prize 2007 === Journalist and activist Parvin Ardalan should have been in Stockholm on 6 March 2008. She was to receive the 2007 Olof Palme Prize in recognition of her leading role in the One Million Signatures campaign for women's equality in Iran. However, on 3 March, airport security officials removed her from a flight about to take off from Tehran's international airport, seized her passport, and served her with a summons to appear in court.<ref>''Protest Travel Ban on Iranian Women's Rights Activist'', [http://action.humanrightsfirst.org/campaign/Ardalan/836xkuer4wkxe67? Human Rights First]{{dead link|date=September 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

=== Reporters Without Borders/Deutsche Welle === In 2008, the prize of Reporters Without Borders and Deutsche Welle was awarded to the campaign's website (which is called ''Change For Equality'').<ref>[http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,,3837557,00.html (in Persian) Deutsche Welle ]</ref>

=== Simone de Beauvoir prize === In January 2009, the campaign was awarded the Simone De Beauvoir Prize for Women's Freedom ({{Lang|fr|Prix Simone de Beauvoir pour la liberté des femmes}}) in recognition of its significant impact on Iranian society.<ref>[http://we-change.org/site/english/spip.php?article436 One Million Signature Campaign Honored with Simone de Beauvoir Award], Change for Equality, Friday 9 January 2009, (in Persian, 20 ''Day'' 1387 AH, {{cite web |title=کمپین یک میلیون امضاء برندۀ جایزۀ سیمون دو بووار - تغییر برای برابری |url=http://www.campaignforequality.info/spip.php?article3457 |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090405062007/http://www.campaignforequality.info/spip.php?article3457 |archive-date=2009-04-05 |access-date=2009-01-11}}).<br />• ''{{usurped|[https://web.archive.org/web/20090129235921/http://feministschool.biz/english/spip.php?article225 Visual Report of Receiving the Prize from Simone de Beauvoir Foundation]}}'', Feminist School, Thursday 22 January 2008, (in Persian, Feminist School, 2 ''Bahman'' 1387 AH, [http://www.zanschool.org/spip.php?article2009]{{dead link|date=April 2018|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}).<br />• {{usurped|[https://web.archive.org/web/20090130000048/http://www.feministschool.biz/spip.php?article1994 Interview with]}} Ms Simin Behbahani, in Persian, Feminist School, 1 ''Bahman'' 1387 AH.</ref>

=== Anna Politkovskaya Award === In 2009 One Million Signatures received the Anna Politkovskaya Award.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2009-10-08 |title=Politkovskaya award won by Iranian women's rights campaign |url=https://humanrightshouse.org/articles/politkovskaya-award-won-by-iranian-womens-rights-campaign/ |access-date=2025-11-09 |website=Human Rights House Foundation |language=en-US}}</ref>

=== Global Women's Rights award === The Feminist Majority Foundation honored the One Million Signatures Campaign as a recipient of the 2009 Global Women's Rights Award.<ref>[http://feminist.org/globalwomensrightsawards/AboutAwards.html About the Global Women's Rights Award] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090430080310/http://feminist.org/globalwomensrightsawards/AboutAwards.html |date=2009-04-30 }}</ref> This award was presented to the Campaign,"in special recognition of their groundbreaking work to demand an end to discriminatory laws in Iran against women."<ref>[http://feminist.org/globalwomensrightsawards/AwardRecipients.html Global Women's Rights Awards 2009 Recipients] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090430080406/http://feminist.org/globalwomensrightsawards/AwardRecipients.html |date=2009-04-30 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://changeforequality-ca.org/English/GlobalWomenRightsAward-FMF_eng.html |title=Report of the Global Women's Rights Award Ceremony |access-date=2009-05-20 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110725154524/http://changeforequality-ca.org/English/GlobalWomenRightsAward-FMF_eng.html |archive-date=2011-07-25 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

=== ''Iranian Women's One Million Signatures Campaign for Equality: The Inside Story'' === In 2009 Women's Learning Partnership (WLP)<ref>[http://www.learningpartnership.org Women's Learning Partnership: For Rights, Development, and Peace]</ref> published "Iranian Women's One Million Signatures Campaign for Equality: The Inside Story" written by Noushin Ahmadi Khorasani, one of the founding members of the campaign.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.learningpartnership.org/iran-oms-inside-story |title=Iranian Women's One Million Signatures Campaign for Equality: The Inside Story (book description) |access-date=2016-06-30 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160715183426/http://www.learningpartnership.org/iran-oms-inside-story |archive-date=2016-07-15 |url-status=dead }}</ref> ''Iranian Women's One Million Signatures Campaign for Equality: The Inside Story'' details the history, strategies, and values that brought together a diverse group of Iranian women, men, and rights activists for the well-known women's equality campaign. It is a valuable case study of a new model for grassroots movements in the 21st century, applicable not only in societies ruled by autocratic governments or influenced by radical fundamentalism, but also in more open and tolerant societies that have yet to achieve full equality for women.

=== Legislation === In 2008 the conservative Iranian government proposed a tax on prenuptial arrangements above a certain amount, to reduce the financial burden on men. Many leaders of the 'Signatures' campaign actively worked against it.{{citation needed|date=October 2021}} In September 2008, the bill for the tax was returned to the legislative council, citing the problematic meddling of the government in private contracts; however, its primary opposition came from the perceived promotion of polygamy in the government's bill.<ref name=WP>[https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/09/02/AR2008090202824.html?hpid=sec-world Iranian Parliament Delays Vote on Bill That Upset Judiciary, Women's Activists], Thomas Erdbrink, ''Washington Post'', September 3, 2008; accessed September 21, 2008.</ref> The proposed polygamy and tax provisions were absent from the bill that was passed on 9 September 2008.<ref name=WE/>

== References == {{reflist}}

== Sources == * [https://web.archive.org/web/20160119035914/http://nobelwomensinitiative.org/2007/02/update-a-million-signatures-for-women/ ''Update: A million Signatures for Women'', February 13, 2007], Nobel Women's Initiative * [https://www.rferl.org/a/1070878.html "Iran: Signature Drive Targets Gender Discrimination"], 28 August 2006, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty * Nayereh Tohidi, [https://web.archive.org/web/20220930103016/http://www.payvand.com/news/06/dec/1174.html "Iran's Women's Rights Movement and the One Million Signatures Campaign"], Payvand, December 16, 2006. * Maura J. Casey, "[https://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/07/opinion/07observer.html?_r=3&oref=slogin&oref=slogin&oref=slogin Challenging the Mullahs, One Signature at a Time]", ''The New York Times'', 7 February 2007.

==External links== * Change for Equality (''Ta'ghir barā-ye Barā'bari''), Official Campaign Website, [https://web.archive.org/web/20171212173257/http://we-change.org/site/english/ (English)], [http://we-change.org/site/english/spip.php?rubrique10 (Persian)]. * Shirin Ebadi, ''[https://www.fidh.org/spip.php?page=article&id_article=3827 One Million Signatures Demanding Changes to Discriminatory Laws]'', FIDH, November 22, 2006 . * ''[https://www.bbc.com/persian/iran/story/2007/01/070123_shr-campaign-rights One Million Signatures Demanding Changes to Discriminatory Laws]'', in Persian, BBC Persian, Wednesday 24 January 2007.

Category:Women's rights in Iran Category:2006 in Iran Category:Feminist organisations in Iran Category:Women's rights movement in Iran Category:Gender equality Category:History of civil rights and liberties in Iran