In this article, we reconsider the history and politics of Iranian feminism(s) in the light of the recent Woman Life Freedom uprising. We take this opportunity to reflect on the potentialities and weaknesses of decade-long engagements with feminism in Iran, highlighting a reluctance to commit to an intersectional analysis able to stream how economic and political hierarchies govern classed and racialised, not only gendered, bodies in different ways; and reflecting on movement-building strategies. To do so, the paper draws attention to two aspects of contemporary political work. First, we examine social media activism and its role in empowering or disempowering a politics of freedom. Second, we draw attention to dispersed forms of activism, based on affective connection between women and “everyday forms of resistance”. While we believe that everyday resistance is meaningful, we also emphasise the dangers of becoming content with awareness advancements only, while lacking a strong movement-building strategy. In conclusion, we put Iranian feminism and its intellectual production in dialogue with broader internationalist struggles for liberation and freedom.
