Transnational feminist perceptions of Iranian women’s movements from 1979 to the Mahsa Amini (Woman, Life, Freedom) movement : master's thesis

Eshmoel, Sara (author), Zavratnik, Simona (mentor)

This thesis examines Iranian women’s movements from the 1979 Islamic Revolution to the Mahsa Amini (Woman, Life, Freedom) movement and analyzes how gendered resistance, emotional and digital mobilization, and transnational solidarity shaped continuity and transformation. Using a qualitative design, it applies thematic analysis to academic publications, human rights documents, and international media articles. Its framework combines social movement theory, feminist movement theory, transnational feminist theory, and the sociology of emotions. The movement emerged from resistance to gender discrimination, compulsory veiling, patriarchal state control, and political repression. It was distinguished by decentralized mobilization, intersectional participation, embodied resistance, and anti-authoritarian demands. Mahsa Amini’s death generated a moral shock that transformed grief and anger into collective action, while hope sustained participation. Digital platforms strengthened mobilization and visibility but exposed activists to surveillance, censorship, and misinformation. Transnational solidarity raised awareness, but some external interpretations gave insufficient attention to the movement’s historical, ethnic, socioeconomic, and political dimensions. The thesis concludes that the movement demonstrates continuity through transformation, while solidarity remains shaped by unequal power relations.

• Language: English
• Keywords: Iranian women’s movements, Mahsa Amini movement, transnational feminism, emotional mobilization, digital mobilization
• Work type: Master's thesis/paper
• Typology: 2.09 - Master's Thesis
• Organization: FDV - Faculty of Social Sciences
• Place of publishing: Ljubljana
• Publisher: S. Eshmoel
• Year: 2026
• Number of pages: 1 spletni vir (1 datoteka PDF (83 str.))
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-186017
• UDC: 305(=22)(043.2)
• COBISS.SI-ID: 290470915
• Publication date in RUL: 26.08.2026

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Title: Transnacionalne feministične percepcije iranskih ženskih gibanj od leta 1979 do gibanja Mahse Amini (Ženska, življenje, svoboda) : magistrsko delo

Abstract

Magistrsko delo obravnava gibanja iranskih žensk od islamske revolucije leta 1979 do gibanja Mahse Amini (Ženska, življenje, svoboda) ter analizira, kako so spolno zaznamovani odpor, čustvena in digitalna mobilizacija ter transnacionalna solidarnost oblikovali kontinuiteto in preobrazbo. Kvalitativno zasnovana raziskava uporablja tematsko analizo akademskih publikacij, človekovnopravnih dokumentov in člankov mednarodnih medijev. Teoretični okvir združuje teorijo družbenih gibanj, teorijo feminističnih gibanj, teorijo transnacionalnega feminizma in sociologijo čustev. Gibanje je izšlo iz odpora proti spolni diskriminaciji, obveznemu zakrivanju, patriarhalnemu državnemu nadzoru in politični represiji. Zanj so bili značilni decentralizirana mobilizacija, intersekcijska udeležba, utelešeni odpor in protiavtoritarne zahteve. Smrt Mahse Amini je povzročila moralni pretres, ki je žalost in jezo preoblikoval v kolektivno delovanje, upanje pa je ohranjalo sodelovanje. Digitalne platforme so okrepile mobilizacijo in prepoznavnost, vendar so aktivistke in aktiviste izpostavile tudi nadzoru, cenzuri in dezinformacijam. Transnacionalna solidarnost je povečala ozaveščenost, vendar so nekatere zunanje interpretacije namenile premalo pozornosti zgodovinskim, etničnim, družbenoekonomskim in političnim razsežnostim gibanja. Delo ugotavlja, da gibanje izraža kontinuiteto skozi preobrazbo, transnacionalno solidarnost pa še vedno oblikujejo neenaka razmerja moči.

• Keywords: družbena gibanja iranskih žensk, gibanje Mahse Amini, transnacionalni feminizem, čustvena mobilizacija, digitalna mobilizacija