In the morning take flight explores the fight being waged by Iranian women to grow their space within a world that too often delegates them to the role of dependent, mother, wife. With the 1979 revolution and the following fusion of Sharia and state law, rights such as the right to seek divorce and child custody were lost. The hijab became compulsory. Participation of women in the workforce or in parliament remains amongst the lowest in the world. 

And yet the women’s movement in Iran continues to grow, spurred on by those, like myself, born in the 1980s. Inspired by ideas and culture, from fashion and media, feminism, and literature, we are pushing each day to expand the possibilities for our own future. There have been hard-won gains in access to education, healthcare, and still, things remain so far from equal. 

In the morning take flight brings us into the lives of Sahar, an artist, Fatemeh, a brand strategist, Fatima, a teacher, and Ghoncheh, a social media influencer for the differently-abled community, and the intimate challenges and pleasures of their lives. Their stories are their own, but they’re woven together into the fabric of our generation of women, the battles we’ve fought, and the imperfect victories we’re creating for those that follow us.