Our Freedom Bags are inspired by the bravery of the women of Iran, who have been leading Iranians in nationwide protests against the Islamic Republic regime.

The protests were ignited in September 2022 by the death of Mahsa Jina Amini, a young Iranian woman who was beaten to death by the so-called "morality police" for not wearing her mandatory hijab properly. Her murder gave birth to the inspirational slogan “Women Life Freedom” (“Zan Zendegi Azadi” in Persian) which has come to represent the movement.

Months later, after the protests quickly evolved into a unified, nationwide revolution against the regime, thousands of Iranians are still sacrificing their lives to fight for basic human rights, freedoms, and a secular democracy.

As an activist and designer, Sharon Wilkes was moved by Mahsa's tragic passing, and this powerful, ongoing movement in Iran. She was approached by the Iranian-American community to create a bag collection that would not only bring awareness to the current events, but also support the further advocacy by donating a percentage of proceeds toward a non-profit organization called NUFDI (National Union for Democracy in Iran). Sharon collaborated with NUFDI to bring you the handbag and tote bag that you see today.

NUFDI is a non-profit, non-partisan organization representing the Iranian-American community in pursuit of a U.S. policy toward Iran based on human rights and democracy.