Independent Senator Fatima Payman is facing backlash over remarks made at a Sydney event that organisers described as “challenging the narrative of Iranian women in the West.”
Payman, a former Labor senator, appeared at the 22 February event at Western Sydney University, where she praised Iran’s treatment of women in a statement that has since sparked widespread criticism.
Iranian women in Sydney challenge Western narratives@SHAHANABUTT reports from Sydney pic.twitter.com/FBB3BCu1ik
— Press TV(@PressTV) February 23, 2025
In a broadcast by Iranian state-owned media outlet Press TV, Payman was quoted as saying that Westerners are not exposed to “the incredible place that Iran is, allowing for women to participate in the workforce, to ensure that they have a voice, and their voices are heard, they’re involved in the democratic process.”
She went on to claim that these were “realities that we’re not privy to living here and listening to the propaganda we receive from very single-sided organisations with a specific agenda.”
Speaking to Press TV, Australian Senator @SenatorPayman said that, contrary to the propaganda of 'single-sided organizations', women have a voice in Iran and are involved in the democratic process.
— Press TV
Follow: https://t.co/B3zXG73Jym pic.twitter.com/xiutfMmb5j
The comments quickly drew condemnation from Australian United Solidarity for Iran (AUSIRAN), a community group supporting the “Woman, Life, Freedom” movement, which has protested against the Iranian government’s treatment of women.
In a letter titled No Cover for Islamic Republic’s Regime Gender Apartheid, AUSIRAN condemned both Payman and NSW Minister for Women Jodie Harrison, who had sent a video message for the event.
Harrison has since apologised, stating she does not share the views expressed at the event and acknowledging that her decision to participate was “ill-considered.”
“Their decision to attend an event in Sydney — which flagrantly supported the Islamic Republic regime’s misrepresentation of women’s rights and its propaganda — is a profound act of hypocrisy,” the AUSIRAN letter read.
The group also referenced the death of Mahsa Jina Amini, a Kurdish-Iranian woman who died in 2022 after being arrested by Iran’s so-called morality police for allegedly violating the country’s strict hijab laws. Her death triggered nationwide protests, which were met with a violent crackdown, resulting in hundreds of deaths and thousands of arrests, according to Human Rights Watch.
Kylie Moore-Gilbert, an Australian expert in Middle Eastern politics who was imprisoned in Iran for two years on espionage charges, was among those criticising Payman’s comments.
“Oh my God @SenatorPayman, girl what are you doing!? What is this nonsense you are saying!?” she posted on X.
“Iran has no ‘democratic process,’ least of all one which women are allowed to participate in. You should know this — I saw you sitting in the Senate enquiry into Iran’s human rights abuses just two years ago.”
She also questioned Payman’s decision to engage with Press TV, calling it “the English-language propaganda arm of the Islamic Republic, known for broadcasting false confession videos and forced interviews with prisoners before they are executed.”
Iranian-origin Canadian political activist Goldie Ghamari also criticised Payman, questioning why an Afghan-born refugee was defending the Iranian regime. Ghamari posted on X:
“If she thinks the terrorist Islamic Regime is so great, why did she seek asylum in Australia instead of Iran?”
Iranian journalist and activist Masih Alinejad fiercely rejected Fatima Payman’s remarks, accusing her of “whitewashing” the Iranian regime’s oppression of women.
“I am a woman from Iran, and I testify that you, @SenatorPayman, are lying,” Alinejad wrote on X, recounting her own experiences of imprisonment, lashings, and surviving multiple assassination attempts simply for expressing herself.
She condemned Payman’s portrayal of Iran as an “incredible place” for women, pointing out that women are “shot in the eyes, imprisoned, and murdered for daring to demand freedom.”
“The only thing women are ‘ensured’ under the Islamic Republic is systematic oppression,” Alinejad continued, challenging Payman to go to Tehran, remove her hijab, and speak freely.
“Let’s see how long she enjoys this so-called ‘democratic process’ before she’s thrown in prison.”
I am a woman from Iran, and I testify that you, @SenatorPayman, are lying. As a woman, I was sentenced to prison. I was sentenced to lashes, and I survived one kidnapping attempt and two assassination plots—simply for expressing myself. Many other Iranian women can testify that… pic.twitter.com/6nT7TNkKtq
— Masih Alinejad(@AlinejadMasih) February 24, 2025
Liberal Senator for NSW Dave Sharma, reposting Alinejad’s post, criticised Payman’s statement, calling it “exactly what Lenin had in mind when he coined the term ‘useful idiots.’”
Liberal Senator for Tasmania Claire Chandler condemned Payman and a Labor minister for taking part in what she called a “propaganda exercise for the Islamic Republic.” She stated,
“The regime’s oppression of women and promotion of vile antisemitism is well documented, and it’s disgraceful for any Australian politician to pretend otherwise.”
PhD scholar Sana Ebrahimi denounced Fatima Payman as a “propagandist and a blatant liar,” stating on X that if Payman removed her hijab in Iran, she would be “treated like garbage.” She criticised Payman for calling Iran a democracy, accusing her of supporting “Islamist” practices and opposing Western values.
Ebrahimi further stated that Payman “deserves to be in Afghanistan, not Australia or any other free country,” arguing that Afghanistan’s treatment of women aligns with the “democracy” Payman praised in Iran.
Payman has since defended her appearance at the event, describing it as an “Iranian women’s empowerment event to celebrate International Women’s Day.”
She stated that she had “heard first-hand their experiences in Iran and the rights and opportunities afforded to them” and suggested that the event’s organisers were trying to “correct the narrative they felt was single-sided by certain organisations.”
“As a leader, it’s important for me to keep an open mind and listen to both sides.”
Payman, who left the Labor Party in July 2024 after defying the party’s stance on Palestinian statehood, now faces growing scrutiny over her engagement with groups linked to the Iranian government.
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