Woman, life, freedom - Iranian women's resistance
The exhibition opens the 10th of September --------
Under the slogan ‘Woman, Life, Freedom’, Iranians took to the streets in late 2022, sparking a global movement. The exhibition ‘Woman, Life, Freedom – Iranian Women’s Resistance’ highlights the multifaceted nature of this movement and places this resistance within a broad historical context. At its heart lies the strength and resilience of women and other Iranians who, despite great risks, are resisting oppression and inequality.
Now, in 2026, the Iranians once again taking the streets to demonstrate against the regime – and these protests being brutally suppressed, resulting in an unprecedented number of deaths – the exhibition reveals the stories behind the wave of protests that erupted in Iran in late 2022. The catalyst for that wave of protests in 2022 was the murder of 22-year-old Kurdish-Iranian Jina Mahsa Amini by the Iranian morality police, allegedly for not wearing her headscarf correctly. Iranians of all genders, social groups and ethnic backgrounds turned against the regime. With the Persian words “Zan, Zendegi, Azadi”, derived from the Kurdish slogan “Jin, Jiyan, Azadi” (Women, Life, Freedom), the protest movement grew into a nationwide uprising. The English translation “Woman, Life, Freedom” became internationally recognised. The protests were emulated worldwide.
The Woman, Life, Freedom movement is fighting for equality between men and women, and for freedom of choice and equality for all Iranians. Precisely because women are often the most oppressed group, their struggle lies at the heart of a broader resistance movement.
Historical context
The exhibition at the Freedom Museum shows that this resistance does not stand alone and that the Iranian women’s resistance dates back to the mid-nineteenth century. A timeline highlights key moments, influential women and forms of protest.
Against this historical backdrop, the exhibition demonstrates how Iranian women’s resistance is manifesting itself in 2022. Through personal stories, news footage and art, the creativity and courage of the movement are brought to the fore in diverse forms of resistance: from street protests and online activism to protests from school classrooms, prisons, memorial sites and abroad.
‘Woman, Life, Freedom – Iranian Women’s Resistance’ calls for the sharing of stories of resistance from Iran. Now that the resistance of Iranians against the dictatorship is being brutally suppressed, support, awareness and solidarity are more important than ever.
Development of the exhibition
The exhibition was designed by the Amsterdam Resistance Museum, where it was previously on display. The Amsterdam Resistance Museum organised the exhibition in collaboration with an advisory group of Iranian women in the Netherlands. Any form of resistance can have serious consequences, including imprisonment and death. Iranians who have fled the country and support the movement are being monitored by the Iranian regime. For these security reasons, the advisory group of Iranian women involved in the design and content of the exhibition is therefore partly anonymous.