I-WILL

Iranian Women’s Institute for Life and Liberty is a nonprofit organization inspired by the Woman Life Freedom uprising

[Lawdan Bazargan @LawdanBazargan]

There is an exciting online event happening today that anyone who cares about Iranian women, history, freedom, and resistance should know about.

Author and women’s rights advocate Manda Zand Ervin will be speaking about her book, The Ladies’ Secret Society, a powerful work that brings together the stories of extraordinary Iranian women who fought, organized, educated, resisted, and refused to disappear from history.

Manda Zand Ervin is not just an author writing about Iranian women from a distance. She is an Iranian-American activist who has spent decades fighting for the rights of Iranian women and standing against the Islamic regime’s oppression. She has lived this struggle, carried this history, and spent 16 years gathering the stories of the courageous women featured in this book.

This is a rare opportunity to hear directly from a woman who has devoted her life to preserving the legacy of Iranian women, and to ask her questions about the women, the history, and the fight that continues today.

#MandaZandErvin #TheLadiesSecretSociety #WomenLifeFreedom

[Lawdan Bazargan @LawdanBazargan]

امروز یک برنامه آنلاین هیجان‌انگیز با حضور بانو ماندا زند-اروین برگزار می‌شود که هر کسی که به زنان ایرانی، تاریخ، آزادی و مقاومت اهمیت می‌دهد، باید در ان شرکت کند.

نویسنده و مدافع حقوق زنان، ماندا زند اروین، درباره کتاب خود، The Ladies’ Secret Society، صحبت خواهد کرد؛ اثری قدرتمند که داستان زنان برجسته و الهام‌بخش ایرانی را گرد هم آورده است؛ زنانی که جنگیدند، سازمان‌دهی کردند، آموزش دادند، مقاومت کردند و اجازه ندادند از تاریخ حذف شوند.

ماندا زند اروین فقط نویسنده‌ای نیست که از دور درباره زنان ایرانی تحقیق کند. او یک فعال ایرانی-آمریکایی است که دهه‌ها برای حقوق زنان ایرانی و علیه سرکوب و سیستم آپارتاید جنسیتی جمهوری اسلامی مبارزه کرده است. او این مبارزه را زندگی کرده، این تاریخ را با خود حمل کرده، و ۱۶ سال برای گردآوری داستان زنان شجاعی که در این کتاب معرفی شده‌اند وقت گذاشته است.

این فرصتی نادر است برای شنیدن مستقیم سخنان زنی که زندگی خود را وقف حفظ میراث زنان ایرانی کرده است؛ و فرصتی برای پرسیدن سؤال درباره این زنان، این تاریخ، و مبارزه‌ای که همچنان ادامه دارد.

#MandaZandErvin
#TheLadiesSecretSociety
#WomenLifeFreedom

[Lawdan Bazargan @LawdanBazargan]

One of the artists collaborating with @IWILLOrg for our International Women’s Day event was @pakkatty2023, who generously shared several of her beautiful paintings with us.

Her artwork captures quiet, intimate moments of reflection. Through strong colors, expressive brushstrokes, and the recurring image of solitary female figures, her paintings evoke themes of vulnerability, resilience, and inner strength. Many of the figures appear contemplative, almost suspended between memory and hope, which felt deeply fitting for an event dedicated to women’s voices, survival, and resistance.

Art has a way of expressing what words sometimes cannot. Kathy’s work added a powerful visual layer to the evening, reminding us that creativity is also a form of courage.

We are grateful for her contribution and for the way her art helped create a space of reflection, beauty, and solidarity.

#InternationalWomensDay #WomenLifeFreedom

[Lawdan Bazargan @LawdanBazargan]

یکی از هنرمندانی که با @IWILLOrg در رویداد روز جهانی زن همکاری کرد، @pakkatty2023 بود که چندین اثر زیبای خود را در اختیار این برنامه قرار داد.

آثار او لحظه‌های آرام و درونیِ تأمل زنان را به تصویر می‌کشند. با استفاده از رنگ‌های قوی، ضربه‌قلم‌های بیانگر و حضور مکرر پیکره‌های زنانهٔ تنها، نقاشی‌هایش حس آسیب‌پذیری، تاب‌آوری و قدرت درونی را منتقل می‌کنند. بسیاری از این پیکره‌ها در حالتی تأملی به نظر می‌رسند؛ گویی میان خاطره و امید معلق مانده‌اند. همین حس، برای رویدادی که به صدای زنان، بقا و مقاومت اختصاص داشت، معنایی عمیق می داد.

هنر گاهی می‌تواند آنچه را که واژه‌ها از بیانش ناتوانند بازگو کند. آثار کتی لای��‌ای قدرتمند از بیان بصری به این شب افزود و به ما یادآوری کرد که خلاقیت نیز خود شکلی از شجاعت است.

از او برای این همراهی و برای آنکه با هنر خود فضایی از تأمل، زیبایی و همبستگی ایجاد کرد، سپاسگزاریم.

[Lawdan Bazargan @LawdanBazargan]

We commemorated International Women’s Day in Phoenix, Arizona, courtesy of @IWILLOrg . The event brought together art, memory, and testimony to honor the courage of women resisting tyranny and gender apartheid under the Islamic Republic of Iran, as well as the resilience of Yazidi women who survived the genocide and sexual enslavement carried out by ISIS. In 2014, thousands of Yazidi women and girls were abducted, sold in slave markets, and subjected to systematic sexual violence by ISIS fighters, crimes that the United Nations and many governments have recognized as genocide

The installation included several powerful elements. The lists of Iranian political prisoners and the names of those executed in the 1980s were displayed to remember those whose lives were taken for their beliefs. The images, the list of more than 900 women executed in the 1980s and the #1988Massacre of political prisoners on the left, generously provided by Leila Ghalebani, Roya Ghiasi and @samandory, helped document this painful history.

The photos of individuals detained after the January 2026 massacre were provided by Mahya and Elnaz, reminding us that repression in Iran is not only history, it continues today.

At the center, the heart-shaped installation carries the names of more than 800 women political prisoners in Iran, a moving tribute made possible through the efforts of @Jeanne2022Rev .

The portraits of Iranian political prisoners on the right were shared courtesy of @aylene_fallah, adding yet another layer of remembrance and solidarity.

Together, these contributions created a space of collective memory and resistance. Together, we can do great things.

On the table, visitors could read the story of the six-day protest of Iranian women in March 1979, when thousands took to the streets beginning on March 8, International Women’s Day, to oppose compulsory hijab and stand against the newly emerging theocracy of the Islamic Republic. This historic demonstration became the first mass protest against the Islamic Republic’s rule. The story and accompanying photographs were provided by me to highlight the courage of the women who stood at the front lines of resistance from the very beginning.

Thank you to all these brave and courageous women who continue to fight for Iran and help spread the truth about the struggle against tyranny and gender apartheid imposed by the Islamic regime of Iran.

[Lawdan Bazargan @LawdanBazargan]

در ��ینیکس، آریزونا به همت سازمان @IWILLOrg روز جهانی زن را گرامی داشتیم. این برنامه هنر، خاطره و روایت‌های شخصی را گرد هم آورد تا شجاعت زنانی را که در برابر استبداد و آپارتاید جنسیتی جمهوری اسلامی ایران ایستاده‌اند گرامی بدارد، و همچنین تاب‌آوری زنان ایزدی را که از نسل‌کشی و برده‌داری جنسی داعش جان به در برده‌اند یادآوری کند. در سال ۲۰۱۴ هزاران زن و دختر ایزدی ربوده شدند، در بازارها بعنوان برده فروخته شدند و به طور سیستماتیک مورد خشونت و تجاوز جنسی نیروهای داعش قرار گرفتند؛ جنایاتی که سازمان ملل متحد و بسیاری از دولت‌ها آن را نسل‌کشی شناخته‌اند.

این چیدمان شام�� عناصر قدرتمند متعددی بود. فهرست حدود نهصد زن اعدام‌شده در دهه ۱۳��۰ و همچنین اسامی قربانیان قتل‌عام زندانیان سیاسی در سال ۱۳۶۷ (#1988Massacre) در سمت چپ، با سخاوت از سوی لیلا قلعه بانی، رویا غیاثی و سامان دوری در اختیار ما قرار گرفت و به ثبت این تاریخ دردناک کمک کرد.

عکس‌های افرادی که پس از کشتار ژانویه ۲۰۲۶ بازداشت شدند توسط محیا و الناز فراهم شد و یادآور این واقعیت است که سرکوب در ایران فقط مربوط به گذشته نیست؛ بلکه هنوز ادامه دارد.

در مرکز این چیدمان، قلبی از نام بیش از ۸۰۰ زن زندانی سیاسی در ایران قرار داشت؛ ادای احترامی تأثیرگذار که با تلاش‌های @Jeanne2022Rev ممکن شد.

پرتره‌های زندانیان سیاسی ایرانی در سمت راست نیز با همکاری @aylene_fallah در اختیار ما قرار گرفت و لایه‌ای دیگر از یادبود و همبستگی به این نمایش افزود.

مجموعه این مشارکت‌ها فضایی از حافظه جمعی و مقاومت ایجاد کرد. با هم می‌توانیم کارهای بزرگی انجام دهیم.

روی میز نیز بازدیدکنندگان می‌توانستند داستان اعتراض شش‌روزه زنان ایرانی در اسفند ۱۳۵۷ (مارس ۱۹۷۹) را بخوانند؛ زمانی که هزاران زن از ۸ مارس، روز جهانی زن به خیابان‌ها آمدند تا با حجاب اجباری مخالفت کنند و در برابر استقرار حکومت دینی تازه شکل‌گرفته بایستند. این تظاهرات تاریخی به نخستین اعتراض گسترده علیه حاکمیت جمهوری اسلامی تبدیل شد. داستان و تصاویر همراه آن توسط من ارائه شد تا شجاعت زنانی را نشان دهد که از همان ابتدا در خط مقدم مقاومت ایستادند.

از همه این زنان شجاع و دلیر که همچنان برای ایران می‌جنگند و حقیقت مبارزه علیه استبداد و آپارتاید جنسیتی جمهوری اسلامی را بازگو می‌کنند، صمیمانه سپاسگز��رم.

[Lawdan Bazargan @LawdanBazargan]

It was an absolute pleasure to participate in this International Women’s Day event. This was a powerful collaboration between @IWILLOrg and Yazidi survivors, bringing together voices that have witnessed firsthand the brutality of Sharia law and political Islam against women.
Women from across the Middle East shared their experiences of resistance and survival, from Iran to the Yazidi community, reminding us that despite our different backgrounds, we are united by a common struggle for dignity, freedom, and equality.
Events like this bring together people from all walks of life who have experienced, challenged, and spoken out against the oppression imposed on women under Sharia-based systems. Through art, testimony, and solidarity, we continue to amplify the voices of those who refuse to be silenced.
#March8
#Iran

[I-WILL @IWILLOrg]

Huge thanks to our guest speakers: @LawdanBazargan , @ReinaRezaie , Amal Kasim, Saman Hajimohammad who spoke up bravely and unapologetically and the amazing artists who trusted us to present their work.

Please follow our instagram for more details:

https://t.co/JGWExHafgO

[I-WILL @IWILLOrg]

On #InternationalWomensDay we hosted a powerful event with 12 Iranian & Yazidi artists, prominent speakers and firsthand stories by survivors, highlighting the cost of Sharia law & political Islam on women, from imprisonment, execution to domestic violence & sex slavery by ISIS.

[I-WILL @IWILLOrg]

@Xanthippe_X Other ways to engage is following us and sharing the work on social media platforms.

Here is our website with all the information:
https://t.co/PF2MdFgCT9
You can also email us at [email protected] for more information☺️

[I-WILL @IWILLOrg]

@Xanthippe_X Thank you so much. Our team is made of volunteers from Europe to Canada, to the United States and even Brazil :-) We would love to have more amazing people work with us if you have time to volunteer.

[I-WILL @IWILLOrg]

@Xanthippe_X Dear Shaghayegh,

We have continuously worked in the past years to raise awareness and already have an event planned for Woman’s Day. Our event is in Phoenix. We will be amplifying those voices, including dedicating special parts of the exhibition to the political prisoners.

[I-WILL @IWILLOrg]

@nima__far Dr. Kazemi’s book:

https://t.co/9lMGFcftO8

[Arman e Bay Area @Amoody408]

Join this important space now

[Lawdan Bazargan @LawdanBazargan]

دوستان لطفا به این اسپیس بپیوندید

[Nima Far @nima__far]

🎙️ JOIN OUR SPACE

What we live through never leaves us completely.
For those of us coming from countries torn apart by war, crimes against humanity, and crisis, the home we left behind never truly left us.

At I-WILL, we bring these realities to life through firsthand storytelling and artistic expression, by the very people who lived them.

Our events don’t shy away from difficult conversations. We create space to confront realities like gender-based violence , genocide, femicide and religious freedom, and to engage audiences who need to hear these truths, even when they’re uncomfortable.

For too long, our communities have been spoken for. At I-WILL, we reclaim narrative, memory, and voice. In this Space, we’re hosting a live conversation about who we are, how I-WILL was shaped, and how art and storytelling become tools for empowerment amid oppression, displacement, and violence.

From portraits of Mahsa Jina Amini on a Seattle stage to the halls of Atelier Jolie, our artists don’t just create.
They testify. They reclaim. They inspire.

🎨 Art as a tool for empowerment & healing
🗣️ The voices we've amplified: survivors, refugees, activists
�� The Woman Life Freedom movement that moved us to act
🌍 Our journey from Seattle to the world stage
🔹 And what's coming next

I-WILL is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit built by and for immigrants. We believe that when a woman picks up a brush, tells her story, or simply shows up, she changes the world.

📅 Date: Feb 20, 2026
🕐 Time: 12PM PT

🔔 Set your reminder. Bring your questions. Share with someone who needs to hear this.

🔗 https://t.co/eBRGNovvhs

"When a woman speaks, silence turns into courage."

[Reina Paeezy @ReinaRezaie]

If you live in or near Phoenix AZ, please join us in this amazing event on March 7th for #InternationalWomensDay

[I-WILL @IWILLOrg]

🌍 Courage Without Borders

On March 7, 2026 (Phoenix, AZ), join us for an evening honoring women who’ve faced the world’s deepest injustices - from Yazidi survivors to women in Iran, to survivors of domestic violence.

🎟 Free | 4-8 PM | MonOrchid
🔗 https://t.co/zpFfcehX6A

[Hannah Neumann @HNeumannMEP]

We all made it happen. All of us. And all of us, we will bring this regime to an end.

[Nazanin Afshin-Jam MacKay @NazaninAJ]

A moving and thought-provoking documentary about one of Iran’s top actors, #TaranehAlidoosti, her
journey as both a feminist and an actress, courageously navigating creativity and resistance under Iran’s harsh and repressive regime. Taraneh speaks candidly and vulnerably on camera (without hijab), about her journey, woman life freedom revolutionary movement and what it means to her, being barred from acting, the health struggles she has faced since her imprisonment for her resistant stance against the regime, and her remarkable strength and resilience she continues to
embody.

Woman, Life, Freedom✌️

Video link here: https://t.co/3ABA9XAmrn