No one knows what tomorrow bring us
If you want to be free you have to fight for it. At the age of 25, I left Iran which is a country full of restrictions for women due to gender discrimination.
I came to Belgium accidently. It took me a lot of effort to start my life again from scratch in Belgium. I had so many difficulties before getting my permission to stay. When I came to Brussels nobody answered me in English. My exposure to language was complicated by living in different regions, thus prejudicing my fluency in English. Speaking new languages gave me another personality and led me to a multicultural life.
I studied at university at the VUB in hope to have a better future. I chose to fight against those that consider only men to carry power in society. Thanks to my sister, I could continue and believe more in myself.
In my tradition, boys can do whatever they wish but a girl must be careful of her dressing, speaking, appearance. Nobody should discriminate against others. Nonetheless, being courageous, confident, and hopeful can help you achieve your goals . To have what you wish for, you have to do what you have never done before.
To conclude, I want to say that be optimistic and believe in yourself and try to change what you don’t want to live in, such as man centered society since men and women are complementary. we fall in order to grow stronger. Keep in mind that everything is possible.
I encourage women to decide for themselves, to believe in themselves and try to find a solution for what they desire to change.
We also made a podcast on this story, to deepen our understanding on the topic. Please listen and enjoy:
A Closer Look Into Gender Equality Issues in Iran