In Solidarity With Women in Iran

Soroptimist International-Western Canada Region

For immediate release.

Challenging the Silence.

Soroptimists stand in solidarity with women and girls in Iran.

November 7, 2022

For the last few weeks, the world has seen and heard the protests in Iran sparked by the tragic killing of a young woman, Mahsa Amini. Additional heinous and horrific acts that violate human rights continue to take place in Iran each day. These events have had direct impact on women in Iran and the diaspora around the world.

Soroptimist International - Western Canada Region stands with the women of Iran, our Muslim sisters and all others who are most vulnerable. This solidarity goes beyond religion or politics, it speaks to the heart of those seeking equality and justice in an unjust system.

Soroptimist members in Canada from Iran, with direct ties to Iran, have expressed anger, frustration, and horror at the situations they are witnessing through firsthand accounts from their friends and families in that country. The scale of media coverage of the situation in Iran is disproportionate to what is truly happening on the ground.

Our global body, Soroptimist International, takes a human rights stand on all issues. Our statement can be found HERE. We are 'the global voice for women’ and as such, we Soroptimists in Western Canada call on all women and girls in every community, and all upstanders for human rights, to demonstrate, to protest injustice, to share stories on social media, to be aware of what is truly happening and to educate themselves and others to what is going on in Iran, the issues and consequences.   We also call upon them to write their elected representatives, the UN Human Rights Commission, to those in power, to hold Iran accountable for these gross violations of human rights. As Soroptimists we will always challenge any attack on women’s human rights. We will continue to care about what happens in other countries because to be free and equal, we must all be free and equal.

What is Soroptimist International?

Soroptimist is coined from the Latin “soror” (“sister”), and “optima” (“best”), and is interpreted as “the best for women”. Soroptimist International is a worldwide volunteer organization devoted to gender equality.

Soroptimists engage in global advocacy through consultative status at the UN. Working within their communities, Soroptimists enhance the education, health, human rights, and status of all women. Soroptimist International incorporates five federations, of which Soroptimist International of the Americas includes almost 30,000 members in 20 countries and territories. The Western Canada Region, comprised of 300+ members in 16 clubs, covers the area from British Columbia to Manitoba and is part of Soroptimist International of the Americas.

For media inquiries please contact:

Suzanne Heron – SI-WCR President

250-891-7495          |          suz.heron@gmail.com