Voices of Resistance: A political discourse analysis of ‘Woman, Life, Freedom’ movement slogans in Iran

Abstract

This study critically analyzes the protest slogans of Iran’s ‘Woman, Life, Freedom’ (WLF) movement through van Dijk’s Political Discourse Analysis framework, revealing how language functions as both a catalyst and marker of social resistance. Addressing a gap in prior research, the analysis demonstrates that WLF slogans deploy distinctive rhetorical strategies to construct collective identity, articulate intersectional grievances, and contest state power across gender, ethnic, and political lines. The research draws on a systematically collected corpus of 15 representative slogans spanning diverse protests and digital platforms from September 2022 through December 2023, using both thematic and discourse analytic methods to reveal the nuanced evolution and strategic mobilization of resistance discourse. Results show that these slogans not only foreground polarized “us vs. them” narratives and feminist demands but also build on historical protest repertoires, repurposing national symbols and idioms to foster unity and challenge hegemonic structures. By situating the WLF movement’s linguistic practices in relation to both contemporary and historical Iranian social movements, the analysis highlights how grassroots political language shapes and reflects broader struggles for justice and social change. This study contributes to discourse analysis of protest by offering contextual insights into how Political Discourse Analysis frameworks illuminate the distinctive role of slogans in mediating national identity and collective action in intersectional feminist movements within authoritarian contexts, while engaging critically with contested scholarly interpretations of feminist resistance discourse.