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Oct 23, 2022-2022

Iran

Lunch Segregation Iran

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ACTIVISTS/ACT.GROUPS/DESCRIPTION OF THE GROUP

Students

TARGET

Irianian Government

WIDELY HELD BELIEF

Gender Segreation should not be allowed.

CASE NARRATIVE

Issue/Opponent: For four decades authorities have imposed a gender-segregation in universities. Male and female students are obligated by an unwritten law to sit in two separate parts of the classroom and lecture halls. They are also all required to eat in separate canteens or the same canteen but at different times throughout the day. They are also all required to exercise and compete in separate sports facilities as well as required to live in separate dorm rooms unless they are married.
Dilemma Action: Iranian students led 15-16 documented protests on October 23. Some students are doing this by challenging regime regulations within academic spaces by chanting slogans, protesting outside of the school, and waving their headscarves above their heads. The main goal of the protests included students entering, sitting, and eating together in dining halls even though they were not allowed to.
Outcome: Irianian University and high school students are sustaining the momentum of the ongoing protest movement, leading the demonstrations into their 37th consecutive day. These protests have built a positive and unfearful public response by other students around Iran replicating the same protests of entering, sitting, and eating together in the dining hall. However, there have been some students who have been punished for protesting and breaking school rules. The school administration and government have had a negative outlook on the protests and students because they do not want to change any school ground rules. Moreover, universities all over Iran are following the protests to make their voice heard. These protests are being followed by many social media sites and they are also being covered on the news worldwide so others can see what is happening in Iran.

PRIMARY STRUGGLE/GOAL

DA TACTICS USED

Boycott of social affairs

Social disobedience

CASE NARRATIVE WRITER

SUCCESS METRICS

8 / 12

(EREP) Dilemma action got replicated by other movements

(MC) Media Coverage

(MSYMP) Media coverage was sympathetic to the activists

(OR) Opponent response

(PS) Dilemma action built sympathy with the public

(REFR) Dilemma action reframed the narrative of the opponent

(RF) Dilemma action reduced fear and/or apathy among the activists

(SA) Dilemma action appealed to a broad segment of the public

PART OF A LARGER CAMPAIGN

3 / 3

Activist group continued working together after the action

Encouraged more participants to join the movement

Internally replicated by the same movement

RESOURCES

Project documentation

Dilemma Actions Coding Guidebook

Case study documentation

Dilemma_Actions_Analysis_Dataset

CC BY 4.0 Deed, Attribution 4.0 International

SOURCES

Fitzpatrick, Kitaneh and Nicholas Carl. 2022. “Iran Crisis Update, October 23.” Critical Threats, October 23. Retrieved July 22, 2023. https://www.criticalthreats.org/analysis/iran-crisis-update-october-23

Sinaee, Maryam. 2022. “Students Defy Gender Segregation Rules In Iran’s Universities.” Iran International, November 5. Retrieved July 22, 2023. https://www.iranintl.com/en/202210257312

Shahrokni, Nazanin and Spyros A. Sofos. 2022. “”Students in Tehran Protest Gender Segregation in University Dining Hall.” Truthout, October 28. Retrieved July 22, 2023. https://truthout.org/articles/students-in-tehran-protest-gender-segregation-in-university-dining-hall/

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