IRAN'S WOMEN'S MOVEMENT FACES EASIER, HARDER TIME AFTER JUNE

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 RPO DUBAI 000467

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/29/2019
TAGS: PGOV PHUM IR
SUBJECT: IRAN'S WOMEN'S MOVEMENT FACES EASIER, HARDER TIME AFTER JUNE
ELECTION

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CLASSIFIED BY: Alan Eyre, Director, Iran Regional Presence
Office, DOS.
REASON: 1.4 (b),(d)

1. (C) SUMMARY: Two active members of Iran's leading women's
rights organization told IRPO the disputed presidential election
has both dramatically increased public receptivity to the One
Million Signature Campaign's calls for gender equality, and
simultaneously constrained its ability to train and mobilize the
surge of new volunteers amidst sharply increased repression of
civil society groups and activists. Ironically, they noted that
while convincing people to sign the Campaign's petition is much
easier than before the election that galvanized much of the
population, faith in the utility of the near-term goal of the
organization - to deliver one million signatures to the Majlis
demanding the revision of laws that discriminate against women -
has evaporated. "People think the Majlis is a joke," one of the
activists observed, "they say if the government can steal the
entire election, then what good is a piece of paper."
Nevertheless, the women view the increased political engagement
of the population as beneficial to their movement, and asserted
that their goal is simply to bring Iranian laws in line with
prevailing social norms. Just as the election demonstrated
that most Iranians are politically moderate, they argued, the
hardline government represents a minority view on women's issues
among Iranians. (NOTE: The two women are transiting Dubai en
route to New York City, where they will accept an award from
Glamour Magazine on behalf of the One Million Signatures
Campaign. A third colleague, who was arrested several months
ago while collecting signatures and detained for two weeks,
decided against participating after receiving a warning from the
Intelligence Ministry. END NOTE) END SUMMARY.



Campaigns and Election Dispute Bring Surge of Support




2. (C) The activists described the final weeks of the campaign
period in the run-up to the June 12 presidential election as a
bonanza for their efforts. As momentum grew, women's issues
came to the forefront of the public debate. The women said that
though most "social activists" (themselves included) actively
supported former Majlis Speaker Mehdi Karrubi's candidacy
because he offered "detailed plans" for reforming discriminatory
laws, Zahra Rahnavard's high-profile role in her husband Mir
Hossein Mousavi's campaign generated huge enthusiasm among women
voters as well. During the large campaign rallies for the two
reformist candidates, One Million Signature Campaign workers
gathered "tens of thousands" of new signatures, and participants
eagerly took their hand-outs and held up placards demanding
gender equality.




3. (C) The two women said that in the aftermath of the election,
widespread enthusiasm turned to anger as many formerly
politically disengaged Iranians protested Ahmadinejad's
implausible landslide reelection. Whereas before the election,
many potentially sympathetic people "kept their distance" from
the Campaign out of apathy or fear, disgust with the
government's conduct since June has led to unprecedented
volunteerism, online requests for information, and willingness
to sign the organization's petition. At the same time, however,
the government reacted to post-election unrest by cracking down
on civil society groups and activists, including Campaign
members. As a result, since the election a backlog of willing
volunteers has grown because the Campaign has only been able to
hold one workshop to train new recruits out of fear the event
would be targeted by security agents. Similarly, the women
report that collecting signatures for the Campaign's centerpiece
deliverable - a petition demanding revisions to laws that
discriminate against women - is "easier than ever" at exactly
the same moment people have lost all faith in the government's
willingness to redress public concerns.



Campaign's Openness Leaves Members Vulnerable




4. (C) The women described the One Million Signature Campaign as
a non-hierarchical, intentionally open organization that relies
mostly on personal interaction to educate and collect
signatures. Volunteers deploy to public areas such as parks and
shopping malls to educate willing passers-by and collect
petition signatures. They are often arrested for their
activities, and several Campaign members have been sentenced to
prison while others have been prevented from traveling. The two

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activists described the April arrest of three colleagues while
they were collecting signatures from hikers and picnickers on a
mountain outside of Tehran. The three women were held two weeks
in a detention facility then released without charges. However,
they now periodically receive calls - presumably from the
Intelligence Ministry - 'reminding' them to watch their step.
The post-election crack-down on political and civil society
activists has led the Campaign to curtail its organized
meetings, though not its outreach activities and signature
collection by trained volunteers. For example, the only
workshop to train new volunteers since the election was raided
by security agents, leading the Campaign to suspend the
workshops despite a surge in interest. In response, the
Campaign is now conducting more of its work on-line, despite
IRIG efforts to bring down their website - according to the two
activists, the Campaign's website has been blocked 21 times and
was subject to denial of service attacks over the summer.




5. (C) COMMENT: In many ways, the women's movement's
post-election operating environment provides a window on the
current circumstances of civil society in Iran. Though fury
over the government's ham-fisted manipulation of the election
has prodded the once-silent majority of moderate Iranians to
agitate against the regime, as yet this discontent has failed to
translate into actions or even a discernable strategy. The One
Million Signatures Campaign, though likely representative of the
social norms held by middle class, urban Iranians, are now less
able than before the election to extend their reach beyond those
with Internet access. END COMMENT.
EYRE