Team Nine

'I used to think that in European countries women's rights would be respected, fully implemented, and you would never hear of violence against women and girls' An excellent book - do buy it and read. By @DianaNammi , founder IKWRO Co-writer @KarenAAttwood 7/end

'Everywhere my team went, we talked about freedom and equality ... We discussed women's rights, and the importance of creating a system to protect women, and how we must put an end to discriminatory practices.' 6/

'We Peshmerga girls knew in our hearts that it was not right that our marriages should also be arranged. We talked to each other about how wrong it was and that we shouldn't be controlled in this way.' 5/

'I started to shake but managed to stop myself from crying. I had to be strong. I was a revolutionary woman. I should not cry in front of a Peshmerga.' 4/

'The first public protest against the Islamic Republic was the magnificent women's protest against the hijab on 8 March 1979 on International Women's Day in Tehran and other cities.' 3/ [image from Hengameh Golestan, not in the book]

'It was the custom to put a girl's age as two years older than her real age so that she could be married younger. Parents preferred to marry their daughters before the age of sixteen if possible, before they started to find love for themselves' 2/

I've just finished reading Girl with a Gun, the story of @DianaNammi and 'love, loss and the fight for freedom in Iran. It's a fascinating read with many themes particularly the issue of Women's Rights. Highly recommended, and a few quotes follow. 1/