On Sept. 13, 2022, a 22-year-old Iranian woman named Mahsa Amini was arrested in Tehran, the capital city of Iran. Her crime was wearing her hijab improperly. Amini died in custody, and is believed to have been tortured, beaten and murdered by Iran’s “morality police.”

Amini’s murder was just one example of the Iranian regime’s longstanding repression of women’s rights. Other state-sanctioned discriminatory acts against women include the denial of their equal rights in child custody, inheritance and divorce, and the need for a husband’s permission in order to own a passport and leave the country.

Amini’s murder has sparked a protest movement that is unprecedented in its size and includes all genders, ages and sectors of Iranian society. It was the breaking point that has mobilized a nation. Since that day, thousands of innocent people have been brutally killed by the regime, with the international press tracking an average of one child murder a day and upwards of 184,000 arrests and detentions that allow for the death penalty as the punishment.

People around the world have rallied around the Women-Life-Freedom movement. Gender-based violence continues to be epidemic across the globe, including right here in Canada. Whenever it rears its ugly head, people of conscience raise their voices. Ottawa citizens are calling for their leaders to act decisively.

On Wednesday, Ottawa Council will vote on a motion to express our solidarity with the women of Iran. We are seeking the installation of “Mahsa Amini” plaques on the section of Metcalfe Street where the now-empty Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran stands.

Those of us who live in a country which considers itself a beacon of human rights and equal opportunity must use our freedom to demand strong action from the Canadian government. Across the country, people are calling for a freeze on the assets of Iranians in Canada with ties to the regime. They are asking the government to refuse entry to Iranian nationals who seek refuge in Canada to bank their wealth and escape prosecution. Also, Iranian Canadians who speak out against Iran’s human rights crimes need to be ensured protection by our law enforcement agencies. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps needs to be declared a terrorist organization under the Criminal Code of Canada.

Let your federal representatives know you want bold action. Now more than ever, the people of Iran need to know the world is with them.

Theresa Kavanagh is the Ottawa councillor for Bay Ward, ward 7. First elected in 2018, she was named the first City Council Liaison on Women and Gender Equity.