News Center — Iran has been witnessing a widespread wave of popular protests for the past seventeen days, fueled by public anger over repressive policies and deteriorating economic conditions. The protests have spread to several cities, marking one of the country’s most significant protest movements in recent years.

Pakistani activist and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Malala Youssafzai called for listening to the voices of protesters in Iran who are demanding their right to determine their political future, affirming her support for the ongoing demonstrations.

She stressed that these movements cannot be separated from decades-long restrictions imposed on the freedoms of girls and women, which have affected all aspects of public life, including education. She added that Iranian girls, like girls everywhere, are calling for their right to live with dignity.

Malala noted that the Iranian people have long warned of the dangers of this repression despite facing serious risks, yet their voices have remained suppressed for decades. She pointed out that these restrictions are not isolated measures, but part of a broader system aimed at enforcing gender control through segregation, surveillance, and punishment.

She emphasized that this system restricts freedom, choice, and safety, extending far beyond the educational sphere to encompass all aspects of life.
“They are demanding that their voices be heard and that they have the right to determine their political future. This future must be shaped by the Iranian people themselves and must include the leadership of Iranian women and girls—not foreign powers or repressive regimes. I stand with the people of Iran and the daughters of this land in thier demand for freedom and dignity.They deserve to decide their own future.