The Hegemony of Feminist Discourse in the International Human Rights System and Its Representation in the Martyred Leader of the Islamic Revolution's Critical Perspective on the Women's Crisis in the West

Document Type : Original/ Research Article

Author
.Assistant Professor. Department of Family Law Studies, Women’s Research Center, Alzahra University, Tehran, Iran
10.30497/flj.2026.251129.2369
Abstract
The claim of defending women's rights, especially since the establishment of the United Nations and the adoption of the UN Charter in 1945, has been a focus of attention and effort as one of the main centers of human rights in international mechanisms. The international human rights system, particularly by emphasizing the three principles of "equality," "non-discrimination," and "prohibition of violence against" women, closes the path to rival and opposing discourses. Therefore, the question is: a) Are the principles of "equality," "non-discrimination," and "prohibition of violence" universal and neutral norms, or have they become tools of Western discursive hegemony (feminism)? And b) What are the axes of the critiques by the martyred leader of the Islamic Revolution regarding the situation and rights of women in the West, and what is their relationship to the three principles of the international human rights system? The research findings, using content and thematic analysis, show that, firstly, the international human rights system, through "monopoly of interpretation in Western-centric institutions," "selectivity in implementation," "politicization of human rights institutions," and "rejection of alternative cultural-religious interpretations," has turned the aforementioned three principles into a hegemony of feminist discourse. Secondly, in the thought of the martyred leader, the situation of women in the West is criticized through three overarching themes: objectification (commodification of women), captivity of women, and oppression of women. These critiques are not a denial of the nature of human rights principles, but a critique of their hegemonic interpretation and selective application.
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