As we sit in our sheltered little American bubble of safety, the women of Iran are fighting for their lives. Not to say that we students of MSDA don’t have struggles, but we have never experienced the grave grandiosity of the trouble in Iran. Girls and women wake up each day to a dystopian reality in which they have little to no rights to their own bodies.

On September 16, 2022, 22-year-old Mahsa Amini died after being detained by Iranian security forces for not wearing her hijab properly. She was taken into detention for ‘education’ purposes, to get “a schooling” on the acceptable forms of modesty in Iranian society. Supposedly, she dropped dead due to a heart attack, though her family denies that she ever suffered from heart disease or affliction. This was a sign to alert the people of Iran that their government was buckling down on strict rules and expectations, punishable by death if disobeyed. Sparking an uprising among her fellow women, Amini’s death frontiered a movement of resistance against the oppressive Iranian government. Protests have continued since her death, gaining traction with a widespread effect of bravery and sisterhood.

But these people are not safe. Many of these protests result in grave injuries and even fatalities. Despite all of this negativity, this movement marks a strong stance against governmental oppression and female repression. Even in the face of calamity, Iranians stand together against injustice, as should we.