Woman
No emancipatory idea can remain silent on the question of women. As the first word of the slogan, “Woman” places this question at the forefront.
01 · A death that lives on
Her name was Jina.
In September 2022, Jina (Mahsa) Amini, a young woman from Iran's Kurdish minority, travelled to Tehran with her brother. During the trip, she was violently arrested and beaten by the “morality police”, also known as the “Guidance Patrol”, over what was described as “improper hijab”, and taken to the Vozara detention centre.
A few hours after her arrest, she fell into a coma due to injuries to her head and was taken by ambulance to Kasra Hospital in Tehran. Jina's heart stopped on 16 September, but her name became a symbol of people standing together across Iran.
02 · A slogan that sparked a movement
Jin. Jiyan. Azadî.
At Jina's funeral in Saqqez on 17 September, the chant “Jin, Jiyan, Azadî” — Woman, Life, Freedom — rang out. Its Persian translation, “Zan, Zendegi, Azadi”, quickly became one of the most important slogans heard in streets across Iran, and before long it was echoing in other countries as well.
Life
Liberation is born of thinking about life.
Freedom
Nothing should take freedom away.
Because women’s issues are central to this movement, it marks a turning point in Iranian women’s long and organized struggle. The movement made women’s issues in Iran a major subject of discussion in both public and private spheres and brought about a revolution in how Iran’s traditional society thinks about women. Although it is still not possible to say that women’s issues in Iran have been resolved, the movement’s potential gives us hope that resolving them — and reclaiming life — is possible. We believe that the Woman, Life, Freedom movement has not ended; on the contrary, it is a sapling that is growing stronger.
03 · A movement in time
From one name to millions of voices.
At the heart of the Woman, Life, Freedom movement are thousands of stories and events. The timeline below highlights some of the movement's turning points.
Jina is detained in Tehran.
The “morality police” detained her over compulsory veiling rules.
Jina's heart stops.
Her death becomes the spark for nationwide protest.
The slogan Woman, Life, Freedom echoes through Saqqez.
At her funeral, “Jin, Jiyan, Azadî” is chanted, and the slogan quickly gains widespread support across the country.
The uprising spreads.
Women and young people were at the heart of these protests.
An international investigation begins.
The UN Human Rights Council establishes an independent fact-finding mission on violations connected to the protests.
The UN mission publishes its findings.
The mission holds the government responsible for Jina's unlawful death following physical violence and concludes that the government's actions constituted crimes against humanity.
We gather in Vienna.
Four years after this movement began, we come together to remember, connect, and continue the journey. Groups, artists, activists, and members of the public meet in a shared civic space.
04 · From remembrance to connection
What can you expect at the event on 15 September?
We, a collective of human rights, civic, and political groups, are coming together to talk with you in a welcoming atmosphere, to remember, strengthen our bonds, and reflect on how to continue the resistance.
Memory
We call the past to mind so that what has happened is not forgotten.
Solidarity
We come together and renew our bonds.
Resistance
Together, we reflect on how to keep resisting in pursuit of our goals.
Date15 September 2026
Time14:00–19:00
PlaceKaisermühlen VIC · Muhammad Asad Square exit
AdmissionFree
05 · Meet some of the participating groups
Active and dynamic organizations give us greater hope to keep going.
Select a card to connect with the groups.
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Sources & context
Read the sources and reports used.
This story is a concise interpretation, not a complete historical record. The factual timeline is grounded in the sources below.