The death of Mahsa Amini provoked fury across Iran and the world, causing unprecedented levels of popular discontent against the Iranian regime’s brutal practices. But this was much more than anger over a tragic, scandalous death. The protests, led by women, have galvanised a broad swath of Iranian society to rise and demand freedom, justice, and gender equality.

The stakes are high and the outcomes uncertain. The EU Council has unveiled a set of new sanctions to the Iranian regime, and the European Parliament approved a resolution on the repression of women’s rights protesters. But questions remain whether these sets of measures will prompt any course correction in Tehran.

Meanwhile, the events in Iran have prompted other women-led demonstrations in the wider region, notably in neighbouring Afghanistan, where the resurgence of the Taliban has caused considerable backsliding in women’s rights and freedom.

This event aims to address some of these questions, providing a platform for key policymakers, experts, and civil society to discuss what additional political actions can be taken against the brutality of the Iranian Regime, how the protests will unfold and, more importantly, how the future of women in Iran, and the region, will look like.

Speakers

Hilde Vautmans

Member of European Parliament

María Soraya Rodríguez Ramos

Member of European Parliament

Dr. Shirin Ebadi

Iranian Peace Nobel Prize Laureate

Lesia Radelicki

Cabinet of the EU Commissioner for Gender Equality

Arnout PAUWELS

Permanent Representation of Belgium to the European Union

Dr. Azadeh Zamirirad

Deputy Head of Research Division at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs

Friederike Tschampa

EEAS Deputy Head of Division - Human Rights and Democratisation

Moderator

Shada Islam

Senior Commentator on Geopolitics

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