Transnational Urban Solidarities

Abstract

In theorizing solidarity among women, feminist scholars often ask what is it that can unite women in their fight against misogynistic social, cultural, and political structures, without reinforcing a victimized discourse and subjectivity. This chapter addresses the question by examining solidarities among Iranian feminist and women's activists in light of the existing dynamics between urban and virtual spaces. To this end, the study examines eye-witness accounts obtained from semi-structured interviews with activists, scholars, and policymakers, and conducts a content analysis of organizations' websites, journals, and documents. The findings indicate that feminist solidarities are moving across geographical scales ranging from the body, neighborhoods, cities, and beyond nation-state borders. Furthermore, although virtual spaces have provided significant tools for shaping feminist solidarities for Iranians, platform biases and authoritarian interventions have posed challenges against feminist activities and agendas.