Document Type : Promotional
Author
Assistant Professor and Faculty Member, Department of Women's Studies, Faculty of Social and Economic Sciences, Al-Zahra University
Abstract
Abstract:
This study offers a comparative analysis of Iranian women's lived experiences during two significant periods of national resistance: the eight-year Iran–Iraq war (1980–1988) and the recent 12-day Iran–Israel conflict (2024). The central research question explores how women's roles, actions, and narrative strategies have transformed over the past four decades and what implications these changes carry for resistance discourse and collective memory. Employing a qualitative methodology grounded in content analysis of oral testimonies, media artifacts, and experiential narratives, the research reveals a distinct evolution in women’s forms of engagement. During the first war, women's participation was largely embodied in logistical support, nursing, caregiving, and moral reinforcement of combatants. In contrast, the 12-day conflict witnessed a shift toward active engagement in digital resistance: women created and disseminated narratives through social media, countered hostile propaganda, and mobilized networks of solidarity and resilience within the virtual sphere. The findings suggest that, despite differing forms and tools of expression, women's narratives in both contexts have significantly contributed to sustaining the discourse of resistance, transmitting cultural and spiritual values, and shaping the identity of the Iranian Muslim woman. These narratives not only offer a gendered retelling of wartime history but also serve as potent instruments in soft resistance and cultural diplomacy.
Keywords
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