Roya Pour Bagher, journalist and writer
On December 3, 2025, women from all walks of life, many accompanied by their children and newborns, gathered for the annual Women’s Day meeting with the Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Imam Sayyid Ali Khamenei. The atmosphere was distinctly different from the year prior. The Imam Khomeini Hussainiyah held a mosaic of experiences and backgrounds, all united by a common denominator: immense sacrifice. The identity of Iranian women was powerfully present in the hall. Their attendance was a poignant reminder that to be a woman does not mean avoiding hardship…it means to embody the spirit of Lady Zaynab (pbuh) and say, “I saw nothing but beauty.” Indeed, Iranian women who attended this year’s meeting carried a different aura—one of maturity and honor. Having endured some of the most difficult days, they returned with heads held high to renew their pledge to the cause—the revolution—and to their Leader, Imam Khamenei. Their loyalty was not merely spoken; it had already been proven through profound sacrifice.
Sitting at the front were several women from Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad province in their traditional attire, who had journeyed over ten hours to meet the Leader for the first time. One conveyed her message to the Leader, “We are with you and stand behind the Islamic Republic till the last drop of blood; we will not allow the enemy to touch a single hair on your head.” Asking a middle-aged woman in the audience about women’s responsibilities today, she thought pensively and uttered, “It is truly as Ayatollah Khomeini said, ‘A man ascends from the lap of a woman.’” She further elaborated on the vital roles she believes muslim women today must have in society, politics, management, and religion.
Many women who had lost their loved ones attended without a single trace of loss evident on their faces. An observer would never guess that a 23-year-old in a wheelchair, Fahimeh Hashmitabar, had woken from a coma to learn she had lost her parents and her home in the war. Invited to speak as chants of “Death to Israel” filled the hall, she began by reciting the verse: “Do not suppose those who were slain in the path of God to be dead; no, they are living and provided for near their Lord.” (Holy Quran 3:169). Fahimeh came with two mementos of her parents: her mother’s chador and her father’s poetry. “I come on behalf of my parents,” she said, “who longed to see the Leader in their lifetime but could not.” Fahimeh concluded with her father’s wise advice: “Study diligently, for otherwise we cannot take our revenge on Israel and our main enemy, the United States.”
Each woman called to the podium held a long list of achievements, yet was proud to be called a mother first and foremost. They spoke of their accomplishments and vowed their commitment to growth and success. A quantum expert confidently voiced her gratitude to the Islamic Republic for paving the path and granting opportunities for women like her to reach their current standing.
Among them was also 23-year-old Fereshteh Hassanzadeh, the first Iranian woman to win a gold medal in Muay Thai. Introducing herself, she stated, “I am a soldier for this nation.” She had recently gone viral for dedicating a silver medal—which she had wished to be gold—to the Leader. In response, he thanked her in a message and said, “My daughter, your resolve, effort, faith, and self-confidence are even more valuable than a gold medal.” Fereshteh explained how his words helped her recognize the true worth of her struggles. According to her, though saddened for not being able to gift the Leader a gold medal, his response ultimately held more value than a hundred gold medals.
As the Leader addressed the gathering, his first words were an homage, honoring the martyrs’ families. The leader also celebrated Iranian women’s vast achievements in science, management, sports, and culture, stating, “Never in its history has Iran possessed even one-hundredth of this number of women who are scholars, intellectuals, and women of insight and independent thought. It was the Islamic Republic that elevated women and enabled their advancement in every significant arena.”
The leader described Lady Fatimah (pbuh)—whose birth anniversary Iran celebrates as Women’s Day—as a “Celestial Human.” He outlined her defining traits: a passionate resolve to defend the oppressed, to illuminate truth, a deep understanding and engagement with politics, and her presence in pivotal historical events like Mubahilah. Imam Khamenei structured his speech around two main themes: a woman’s status and her rights. He affirmed that women can be active in many fields including politics, culture, education, religion, etc. As for women’s rights, he emphasized that the most essential one at home is affection. Therefore, the Leader warmly urged husbands to express their love for their wives, a reminder met with heartfelt applause. Another crucial reminder, one oft-repeated by Imam Khamenei, is that women are not domestic workers obligated to cook and clean. He strongly warned men that such expectations are incorrect; rather, a woman is a flower to be cared for. Imam Khamenei is also known for his appreciation of women’s significance in the household—”manager of the house” as he describes them. To him, running a household is not a role to be diminished in value. Critiquing the West, he highlighted its blatant neglect of women’s rights, from the gender pay gap to domestic violence.
This is the fatherly figure and role model our men and women look up to. This is why our people are moved to tears in his presence. He has taught us the necessity of perseverance and faith. He never retreats from hardship; instead, he embraces it, guiding the Iranian nation to see struggle as a natural step on the path to reaching the summit.
(The views expressed in this article are author’s own and do not necessarily reflect those of Khamenei.ir.)
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