On Thursday, March 13, visiting professor Dr. Neda Hajivosough, a peace and Iranian women’s rights activist, delivered a speech titled “The voices of Iranian women on the path of transformation” at the Chamberlain Student Center. The lecture was hosted by the Hollybush Institute for Global Peace and Security. Hajivosough spoke of Iranian women’s plight to exist in a patriarchal society.

“Right now, I’m not just giving a speech,” said Hajivosough. “This is a dream come true. In Iran, my voice was often silenced, but now, outside its border, I can speak about Iranian women. Based on my experience in Iran, I firmly believe that a new era of Iranian history has begun [for women].”

As Hajivosough went on, she put forth that for outsiders to understand the harsh conditions Iranian women live under, “we must face a hard truth.” There is a strict system that these women deal with every day, and it dictates their every move.

This system rules these women’s lives and bodies, silencing their voices, and it has prevailed for 46 years. 

“The woman’s body is a battleground for its ideology,” said Hajivosough.

From the beginning of the revolution, the theocratic government has actively worked to keep women from gaining their independence. 

“The violence is not just an idea; it has become part of the system through laws, rules, and politics, and [controls] every part of women’s lives,” said Hajivosough. “I firmly believe that these laws are not just against women; they are against humanity.”

As she explained, these laws may seem to be to men’s advantage, but she believes they prevent progress for both sexes. According to Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty’s Radio Farda, a United States government-backed platform for covering factual information on Iranian arts, culture, and politics, 133 women and girls were killed in these honor killings from February 2024 through February 2025.

According to the Iran Human Rights Monitor, 66 percent of Iranian women experience some type of violence during their lives; that figure is roughly double the global average. Iran International, a United Kingdom-owned Persian language news broadcast, reported that the femicide rate increased by 60 percent from 2022 to 2024 alone.

Amnesty International found that the amount of police patrolling the streets for women who violate the veil mandate has visibly increased. The punishments for women not wearing a veil, driving a car, or any number of other freedoms we enjoy in the United States range from imprisonment to flogging, with a wide array of penalties in between.

Routinely the victims of extreme physical violence, Iranian women must also live with a type of unseen violence that strikes at the core of humanity: verbal insults, demeaning language, social isolation, and psychological abuse. Researchers at Sweden’s Linnaeus University found that 62 percent of Iranian women said they had experienced psycho-verbal abuse.

Hajivosough introduced several Iranian women who have made impacts on women’s social standing in Iran. The 2003 Nobel Prize-winning human rights activist Shirin Ebadi has fought for women’s rights since her removal as a judge after the 1979 revolution. She used her prize money to further women’s and children’s rights.

Narges Mohammadi is an Iranian human rights activist and political prisoner who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2023; in 2024, Time Magazine added her to the 100 Most Influential People list.  

Finally, Hajivosough spoke about Fatemeh Sepehri, a staunch critic of the government and its supreme leader, Ali Khamenei. For her vocal opposition, she has also spent many years in prison.

Hajivosough has been away from her home for nine months. “I miss a lot, especially my family and friends…I have just one sister, and I miss a lot about her.” That said, she confirmed that her family is fully supportive of her dreams. She said, “I want to see [my family], but not in Iran.”

While talking with other faculty members, they and Hajivosough discussed possible plans for student peace talks. They want to get Rowan students more involved in what’s happening to women in Iran, but it’s a process.

Dr. Stephen Hague, the deputy director of the Hollybush Institute, said, “Neda’s very modest, but we’ve had a couple of programs this month, and she has really inspired and guided [the students].”

In the end, an anonymous student said, “It’s a very powerful message you’re doing. I think that any change…will bring the government anger, and it can take years, but it will change, and I’m very inspired by your presentation.”

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