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Omid Memarian
o.memarian@roozonline.com

Nahid Tavasoli is a well-known women’s activist in Iran and a founder of the Campaign ‎for One Million Signatures Against Gender Discriminatory Laws in Iran. In an exclusive ‎interview with Rooz she said that the conservative media and parts of the ruling circles in ‎Iran fabricated news about women activists because they pursued the goal of politicizing ‎women’s rights.

She specifically singled out the Campaign for One Million Signatures ‎which strives to gather support against gender discriminatory laws in Iran. This group ‎was the center of many social activities regarding women in the country and last week ‎one of its founding members won the prestigious Olof Palme award for her dedication ‎and efforts in the realm of women’s rights. The recipient is Parvin Ardalan who is a ‎journalist, social activist and among the most prominent names in the women’s fight for ‎equality in Iran. Last year, the award went to former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan.‎

Regarding the award, Tavasoli told Rooz, “Some government media outlets have ‎embarked on belittling the recipients of international awards and make false accusations ‎against them.”‎

On the reason why some government authorities have a negative view of activists who ‎receive international recognition for their social work, Tavasoli said, “The reaction of ‎some government authorities to the recipients has political reasons. They argue that those ‎who receive these awards are agents who are controlled by foreigners. People on the ‎other hand, view them differently.”‎