Nobel Peace Prize laureate and education activist Malala Yousafzai has said that Iran’s ongoing anti-government protests are deeply rooted in decades of restrictions imposed on girls and women, particularly in access to education and personal freedom.
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In a post on X, Yousafzai said the current demonstrations “cannot be separated from the long-standing, state-imposed restrictions on girls’ and women’s autonomy,” stressing that Iranian girls, like girls everywhere, seek “a life with dignity.”
She noted that Iranians have warned the world for decades about repression and systemic control, often at great personal risk. According to Yousafzai, this system has been shaped by “segregation, surveillance, and punishment,” which has severely limited fundamental freedoms.
Highlighting the political dimension of the unrest, she said Iranians are demanding the right to determine their own political future. She emphasized that any meaningful change must be led by the Iranian people themselves and must include the leadership and voices of women and girls.
“I stand with the people and girls of Iran in their call for freedom and dignity,” Yousafzai said, reaffirming her solidarity with those protesting against repression.
