My Camera is My Weapon: The Discursive Development of Iranian Women and Cyber-Feminism

Miniature Malekpour

doi:10.47631/ijecls.v2i2.224

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to look at the major socio-political shifts and stages that Iranian women have experienced from the establishment of the 1907 Constitution until the recent 2018/2019 White Wednesday Campaigns, which saw women take to the streets and remove their hijab as a means of protest against the current government. By examining the role of different veiling practices throughout the last century, this study situates our current scenario, in which women are using their smartphones to organize and make a statement politically, and considers its implications on Iranian society through the role of social-media and Cyber-Feminism.

Highlights

The 2009 Green Movement introduced Iranian citizens to a new type of activisma political protest movement through social media
A combination of internet and political movements emerged under the influence of new technologies; Iranian citizens had a medium, or so-called “cyberspace,” to argue either for or against the Iranian Government’s favor
Before Cyber-Feminism can become an active platform for women to achieve equal rights and equality, the cyberspace it exists within allows Iranian women with an opportunity to communicate with one another, to inform and exchange information, and conduct research about different types of Western Feminist Movements, which includes the relationship between identity and gender

Summary

Introduction

The 2009 Green Movement introduced Iranian citizens to a new type of activisma political protest movement through social media. While the second and the third discourses have successfully introduced practices against discriminatory conditions, they are experiencing a crisis in the representations of Miniature Malekpour, My Camera is My Weapon: The Discursive Development of Iranian Women and Cyber-Feminism women’s interests. This is partly due to the elaboration of other dichotomies, where personal and social identities are mingled while platforms for action are mostly based on religious attitudes (Sadeghi 210). It allows the government to control civil unrest, which might disrupt the society, such as organizing protests (Downing et al 272)

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Conclusion