Dear John,
This week, our eyes were still trained on Iran — where protests are expanding across the country. Iranian women are leading protests, taking to the streets, and removing their hijabs and cutting their hair to protest the regime's head covering requirements. Women must not only comply with prescribed dress, risking fines and imprisonment for violations, but they lack protection for domestic violence (which is endemic); and suffer blatant discrimination under Iranian law in employment, education, travel, marriage and divorce, and child custody.
Mahsa Amini’s death, which triggered the protests beginning last month, has also sparked international outrage — particularly in response to Iranian security forces' violent responses to the protests. While accurate counts are hard to find, nearly 50 protestors have been confirmed dead and thousands have been arrested. Additionally, security forces have detained at least 29 journalists covering the protests.
As Iranian American writer and translator Parisa Saranj wrote in Ms. this week, “This is a protest against 40 years of crackdowns on bodies, freedom of speech, freedom of expression, freedom to choose a religion and freedom of sexual orientation, and imprisoning or killings writers, journalists and artists. Above all, I know this is the movement that will decide Iran’s future and cannot be silenced.”
Today also marks just a little over one month until election day. And as Malliga Och writes in the fall issue of Ms., "women’s rights and the future of an inclusive and diverse democracy truly are on the ballot" — from voting rights to abortion rights and the Equal Rights Amendment. But one thing still stands in the way: the Senate filibuster rule, which Och explains is preventing "the narrow democratic majority from passing laws to protect women's rights — for now. ...[The] midterm elections could change that."
Heading into the midterms, you might have questions — what deadlines do you need to know? Who’s on the ballot this fall? What key races should feminists be keeping their eyes on? So, we’ve pulled together a feminist voter guide, covering everything from candidates to key races to same-day registration and more — explore it at the link below, and pass it along to a fellow voter in need.
We know the potential of women’s collective power, and that our strength lies in our numbers — whether we’re in the streets, or showing up at the ballot box.
