Embracing Rights, Enriching Culture: The Legacy of the 10 Shiraz Women

Embracing Rights, Enriching Culture: #OurStoryIsOne - The Legacy of the Ten Shiraz Women

This immersive exhibition is part of the worldwide #OurStoryIsOne campaign which has inspired a flourishing of artistic expressions from virtually every part of the globe.

The campaign takes inspiration from 10 Baha’i women who were hanged one after another in Shiraz, Iran on the night of June, 18th 1983, executed because they refused to renounce their beliefs. This heroic story serves as a powerful emblem of the long struggle for equality and justice lived by women and men of all faiths and backgrounds - a struggle that continues today.

The #OurStoryIsOne campaign has been running for over a year and has caught the imagination of people worldwide and inspired thousands of pieces of art. The outpouring of artwork in response to the story of these women - one only 17 when she died - frames human rights not just as legal concepts but as essential pillars of our personal and cultural identity and creative expression.

The legacy of the 10 Shiraz women is not one of silence but of resilience and continues to be an inspiration for those everywhere who struggle for justice and equality.

“The overwhelming response to the Our Story Is One campaign is a testament to the profound worldwide desire for the unity of the human family and for the equality of women and men. Today in the blood, tears and wounds of thousands of young women in Iran seeking equality we can see the echoes of their story. We see the same path being walked, the same choice being made to stand up for justice and equality. In their shared story we see that our story is one regardless of faith or background.” (Simin Fahandej, Baha’i International Community representative to the United Nations in Geneva)

Their story is not over…

Join us on Culture Night to learn more about these women and the ongoing sacrifice of women and men who struggle for equality and justice in Iran and around the world.