Temporary exhibition
Woman, Life, Freedom - Iranian women's resistance
Under the slogan “Woman, Life, Freedom”, Iranians took to the streets at the end of 2022, sparking a movement that spread worldwide. The exhibition Woman, Life, Freedom – Iranian women’s resistance highlights the diversity of this movement and places this resistance within a long historical context. Central to the exhibition are the strength and resilience of women and other Iranians who, despite great risks, resist oppression and inequality.
Now that in 2026 Iranians once again took to the streets in great numbers to protest against the regime, and these demonstrations are being violently suppressed with many fatalities as a result, the Resistance Museum presents the stories behind the protest wave that erupted in Iran at the end of 2022. The immediate trigger for that wave of protests was the killing of 22-year-old Jina Mahsa Amini by Iran’s morality police, for not wearing her hijab correctly. Iranians of all genders, social groups and ethnic backgrounds turned against the regime. The Kurdish slogan “Jin, Jiyan, Azadî”, rendered in Persian as “Zan, Zendegī, Āzādī”, gained international recognition as “Woman, Life, Freedom”. The protests inspired similar actions around the world.
The Woman, Life, Freedom movement fights for equal rights for women and for freedom and equality for all Iranians. Precisely because women are often the most oppressed group, their struggle forms the heart of a broader resistance movement.
Historical context
The exhibition at the Resistance Museum shows that this resistance does not stand on its own and that Iranian women’s resistance dates back to the mid-nineteenth century. Through a timeline, key moments, influential women and forms of protest are highlighted.
From this historical perspective, the exhibition shows how Iranian women’s resistance has manifested itself since 2022. Through personal stories, news footage and artworks, the creativity and courage of the movement are revealed in a wide range of forms of resistance: from street protests and online activism to acts of protest in classrooms, prisons, memorial sites and within the Iranian diaspora.
Advisory group of Iranian women
Any form of resistance can carry severe consequences, including imprisonment or even death. Iranians who have fled the country and support the movement from abroad are also monitored and intimidated by the Iranian regime. An advisory group of Iranian women in the Netherlands was closely involved in the development and content of the exhibition; some members remain anonymous for security reasons.
Woman, Life, Freedom – Iranian women’s resistance calls for sharing of stories of resistance from Iran. At a time when Iranians’ resistance to the dictatorship is being brutally crushed, support, awareness and solidarity are more important than ever.