The tragedy of the murder of Elahe Hossein Nejad

The passing car, the mobile phone, and the woman are the three key elements of this story, each in some way intertwined with the lack of security in the tragedy of the murder of Elahe Hosseinzadeh. Why does the issue of "the passing car" still matter despite the existence of public transportation and ride-hailing services, which are unregulated and unsupervised? Why does the mobile phone create opportunities for robbery in our society? Why is a woman so vulnerable?

In March 2021, Sarah Everard, a 33-year-old British woman, was abducted while walking home from a friend's house, assaulted by a police officer, and murdered. This incident deeply shocked public opinion, but what made this issue even more significant was that this outrage led to policy-making.

Regarding Sarah Everard, people realized that the issue is not just the murderer, but a warning bell for the entire social structure. The main question was: 'Why can't a woman walk from her friend's house to her own at night in the capital of Britain without becoming a victim?'

The British government, particularly the Home Office, initiated a set of measures in response: a more thorough background check and psychological assessment of the police, allocation of budget for gender-based training, increased lighting in urban areas, establishment of a reporting line for street violence against women, legally upgrading the concept of 'street harassment' to an official crime, and training women for times of danger.

In Iran, unfortunately, such tragedies are often only examined as a criminal issue, and after the arrest and punishment, the case is closed in the eyes of society. However, if we want the murder of Elahe to become a discourse for women's security policy-making, a similar path must be followed:

We must transform the goddess into a human face, not just a number or a file in crime statistics. The government, society, and elite groups must focus on the discourse of women's security in public spaces. Not with vengeful slogans, but by demanding changes in policies such as criminalizing approaches and statements that somehow promote violence, especially against women, ensuring transparency and serious oversight of online taxis and passing vehicles, conducting thorough psychological assessments and background checks on them, teaching preventive skills and gender literacy in schools and media, educating women, and expanding surveillance systems for citizen security, especially for women in urban spaces are other essential elements in this path.

Writers must write, academics must analyze, lawmakers must listen, and government institutions must be accountable. Until the murder of a young woman becomes a subject for drafting proposals, allocating budgets, or amending laws, no change will occur.

The story of Sara Orard showed how one can light a lamp from the heart of a wound. If the murder of Elahe is to be more than just the bitter headline of a newspaper, we must use it as an excuse for reflection, awakening, and change.

In order for the safety of women to become part of policy discourse, this simple question must be taken seriously: 'How can a woman live naturally in society without fear?' The answer should not only be sought in the enforcement of penalties, but in the reform of structures, public education, and the rebuilding of public trust.