“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere…” (Martin Luther King Jr)
Life in Iran means constantly having to look over your shoulder, lest you should be attacked or arrested by police and security forces.
The fundamentalist and misogynist regime aims to control the people by instilling fear. Women and Youth are the foremost victims of human rights abuses in the country. They most feel the effects of poverty, lack of job opportunities, legal status, and financial status.
Women
The government and authorities control all aspects of their lives: their clothing, their roles as mothers, wives, and daughters in the household, and their positions in the workplace and broader society.
Women and girls are under constant watch from the so-called ‘morality police, ’ whose sole purpose is to ensure that women and girls act per the misogynist laws of the regime.
As a result, they often have half the rights of their male counterparts and face severe systematic discrimination and violation of their rights.
How can we help them?
Their once-silenced voices must be heard. We offer counselling services and befriending to women in need so they can talk about their experiences and try to work through them. In turn, this provides an opportunity to educate others about women’s rights abuses, which still occur today.
Many of the refugee women we meet and work with in the UK have fled from the most horrific situations in their home land. Many still bear the physical and mental scars of their ordeal.
Youth
Iran is home to some of the brightest students and greatest intellectuals; however, due to both lack of job security as well as risk of persecution, more and more are leaving the country in search of work and a better life.
Female students have been prevented from entering their university campus, even on exam days, because their hijabs are deemed improper.
Male students, who later in life become the breadwinners of their families, struggle to find work in an ever-shrinking jobs market.
How can we help them?
We provide opportunities for young people to connect with their community in a meaningful way through social and educational gatherings and team-building activities designed to highlight and showcase their strengths.
Many young migrants arrive in the UK looking for a fresh start and to make good use of the opportunities presented to them. We must encourage them to become the best versions of themselves so that they do not fall into negative patterns of behaviour, for instance, violence or fundamentalist ideologies, which could hinder their progress in society.