Woman Life Freedom Uprising

Erasing Jin, Jiyan, Azadî

Mahsa Jina Amini, as a minority woman in Iran, faced systemic discrimination. Growing up, she
had to adapt to the dominant Persian lifestyle to avoid being targeted. Unfortunately, even within
the Women, Life, Freedom movement, the contributions of Kurds have often been erased or minimized in favor of Persianization (Ghaderi, Page 721).

The slogan "Jin, Jiyan, Azadî" (Woman, Life, Freedom) originates from Kurdish women and was first used during the Kurdish women’s liberation movement during in the 1980s. Yet its Kurdish roots are rarely acknowledged. It was transformed into the Persian version, "Zan, Zendegi, Azadi," overshadowing its true origins. Though Kurds played a crucial role in starting the movement, they were often ignored by mainstream Iranian media. Displaying Kurdish flags during Women Life Freedom protests became controversial, with reports of Kurds being excluded and kicked out for showing them (Ghaderi, Page 721).

Above is a Kurdish resistance song titled “برای FOR بۆ” by Chia Madani, which targets issues
toward the kurdish population after Mahsa Jina Aminis passing.

In the song, the line "For Jina, who was not allowed neither in life nor after death" emphasizes
the deep-rooted discrimination Mahsa faced. Even when alive, she couldn’t publicly use her
Kurdish name, "Jina," out of fear of backlash, instead adopting the Persian name "Mahsa." Was she truly living if she couldn’t express her Kurdish identity?

Also, another instance of discrimination against minority women is “a fifteen year old Baloch girl
who was taken in for interrogation by the police commander of chabahar when according to the
Baloch activist campaign, she was raped” (Azizi, Page 93). Unfortunately, this is not an
uncommon reality for minority women in Iran. They are not only marginalized due to their
gender but also because of their ethnic backgrounds, which subjects them to extreme levels of
state violence and and cultural suppression.

Although Mahsa Jina Amini paved the way for the Women, Life, Freedom movement and
sparked a revolution that raised global awareness, the struggles of minority women like her are
often overlooked. Her death sparked widespread protests, but the deep discrimination faced by
Kurdish women and other minorities continues to be overshadowed.

-K.A.

References: 

Chia Madani. “Chia Madani برای FOR بۆ,” October 9, 2022. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mIkKozqJWvw.

Ghaderi, Farangis. “Jin, Jiyan, Azadi and the Historical Erasure of Kurds.” International Journal Middle East Studies 55, no. 4 (November 1, 2023): 718–23. https://doi.org/10.1017/s002074382300137x.

“Jina Amini Was a Kurdish Woman like Me. Here’s Why That Matters. | Opinion | the Harvard Crimson.” 2019. Thecrimson.com. 2019. https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/international-journal-of-middle-east-studies/article/jin-jiyan-azadi-and-the-historical-erasure-of-kurds/ABD2F2585A3AD4F0FF3735CD0B4FECAA.

“‘Jin, Jiyan, Azadi’ Is Not a Hashtag.” n.d. Progressive International. https://progressive.international/wire/2022-10-14-jin-jiyan-azadi-is-not-a-hashtag/en.

Azizi, Arash. 2024. What Iranians Want. Oneworld Publications.

Rojin Mukriyan. 2023. “The Global Impact of Jin, Jiyan, Azadî.” The Kurdish Center for Studies. September 12, 2023. https://nlka.net/eng/the-global-impact-of-jin-jiyan-azadi/.

Institute, Washington Kurdish. 2023. “Jin, Jiyan, Azadî: The Appeal for Kurdish Self-Determination in Eastern Kurdistan.” Washington Kurdish Institute. January 14, 2023. https://dckurd.org/2023/01/14/jin-jiyan-azadi-appeal-for-kurdish-independence/.

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