This may sound bonkers, but there is a country where dogs are not allowed.  In 1979, the Islamic Republic seized power of Iran, and a gender apartheid state was established...on April Fool's Day no less! Seemingly overnight, all girls had their basic human rights stripped away. They cannot be in public without being fully covered by a veil, they can no longer dance, sing or perform music, and legally they are worth half that of a man. A regime that has no respect for the rights of humans, certainly doesn't have any for animals...even dogs.

Dogs are considered unclean by the Islamic Republic, and are all banned. Of course, this hasn't stopped Iranian citizens from keeping them as pets, like a form of resistance, but they must be kept hidden. If Iranians are caught walking a dog in public, they risk hefty fines, arrest, their dog taken or even shot in front of them. Thanks in large part to the brave teenage girls in Iran fighting in the "Women Life Freedom" protests, we are finally seeing the beginning of the end. I share videos with my daughter of these schoolgirls Iran  valiantly marching in the first ever female-led revolution in history, and it makes her proud to be Iranian. We're watching in awe as these girls redefine what it means to "fight like a girl", as they defy odds and share videos of themselves unveiled in their schools, dancing on Tik Tok with their friends, and singing along to banned music on the streets.

Looking at these photos of my child, with her lovely curls bouncing in the light, and walking a dog, I'm reminded freedom is very fragile, and how vital it is we raise our girls to be defiant young women. I urge us all not to look away and learn the valuable lessons these Iranian girls are risking life and limb to share with the world of the dangers of mixing religion and politics. We risk nothing by amplifying their voices and hopefully we remember our own in the process.

For women, for life, for freedom…and for dogs everywhere too.