berlin. on international women's day we look at the state of women's rights in iran. >> if someone who doesn't think or dress like me doesn't have freedom, i don't have them either. >> many women say they are seeing liberties in public but the transition is very much a work in progress. also, tens of thousands joined fresh protests into billy see.

-- in tblisi. there is a new law that they say could hinder efforts to join the european union. to all of you joining us on pbs in the united states and viewers around the globe, welcome to the show. today is international women's day, an opportunity to celebrate women but also an important time to highlight struggles women around the globe still face every day. in iran, the situation remains dangerous for women. months after they first took the streets in mass protest, women seem to have achieved some of the freedoms they are fighting for. we bring you this exclusive report from tehran. some faces have been blurred for their safety. >> this would have been

impossible just six months ago. walking the streets of tehran in your own choice of clothing. now, it's not an uncommon sight anymore. like this university student, many women are taking the risk. it is still against the law. to talk about it, we go inside. >> there were many reactions to me not wearing the hijab. people looking at me, pulling faces and insulting me, humiliating me. or kindly and sentimentally advising me on what they consider right. my biggest achievement from that period was that i became normal in the eyes of those around me. >> in one of tehran's shopping malls, it is plain to see women wearing what they want, refusing to be divided by the public's

ideology, no matter what they have chosen for themselves personally. >> i feel this is how i show my religious identity to people. i'm fine with it. i'm comfortable. but i think if i don't fight for the individual freedom of the person sitting next to me, i am destroying freedom. if someone who doesn't think or dress like me doesn't have freedom, then i don't have read them either, because freedom isn't for anyone if it's not for everyone. >> in the past five months, many religious women have joined the protests, as well as men, not fighting against the hijab but for freedom, equality and the right to choose. it is the mandatory hijab that they see as a tool for oppressing women. >> i personally would not wear the hijab.

in my opinion, this practice of not wearing it doesn't just mean that we are now physically freer. it's actually a form of resistance, and the issue of the hijab has taken on a special meaning. >> a special meaning most people in tehran seem to either share or at least no longer mind. highlighting that the rift is not between iranians but between them and their leaders. >> have the protests in iran been effective in bringing change? i posed that question to the >> they have. if we talk about change, one main change is that the majority of people in iran i would say

based on some surveys, more than 80% want to redeem change. -- a regime change. this is the process, and women have played a key role. they have been on the forefront. we haven't, in the last weeks, not constantly every day protests on the streets, but we have to be aware of these crackdowns. and you cannot go on in this intensity every day but it is like a marathon. what's happening is that there is a shift. the resistance and protests are going on but nick -- maybe not every day in the streets but in everyday life. in the form of acts of civil disobedience, for instance, and even today on international women's day, there are women taking to the streets.

one visible change is what we see in this dw report. more and more women are on the streets without the hijab. >> what we see time and time again is how brutally the iranian regime cracked down on women's protests. a few days ago this disturbing video emerged allegedly showing brutal handling of a mother who took part in protests against poisonings of schoolgirls across the country. why does the regime resort to violence against women so often? >> because women are the main opponents of this regime. they are a real threat. the pictures we see, what we are witnessing during this protest movement, is the strong, brave women. what they are doing is challenging one of the main foundations of the islamic republic, the control over the

female body. this is why the mandatory hijab plays a key role. it is a religious symbol of the islamic republic, and it means that the fall of the hijab or the mandatory hijab is the fall of the islamic republic. >> is the international community doing enough to support women in iran? >> if you ask me, not enough. they are doing a lot. there is support, but you have to consider that for instance, having negotiations with the islamic republic, shaking hands, this is all of the things that give them more strength and power and they do use it as, to kind of feel more legitimate. they don't have legitimacy within the iranian public, the people. what i think they can do, one

aspect would be putting them on a terror list because this would weaken. this is what irani and men and women are asking the international community to do. >> thanks so much. turkish authorities have banned a planned women's day march on short notice, but that hasn't dissuaded activists. the march organizers say they are determined to follow the route as planned despite police blocking the streets. women stay protests and marches have been banned by turkish authorities citing public safety concerns. we spoke to our turkey correspondent, who was at the protest. >> people have taken to the streets in this istanbul

neighborhood, defying the official ban of the women stay march in the city center. authorities have banned the protest, citing alleged security concerns. this has become a routine in the country, where the government shows little tolerance for public die sent and --dissent and criticism. there is heavy police presence but people have gathered and they are trying to make their voices heard. women here are protesting widespread gender-based and domestic violence in turkey. they are protesting against hundreds of femicides reported by rights groups and they are accusing the government and president erdogan to not -- of not doing much to protect them. people are shouting, women, life, read him.

-- freedom. some iranian people are here among the protests. another chant i can hear is, we are not afraid and we won't stay silent. >> moving on, the head of the russian mercenary group claimed fighters have taken control of the eastern areas of a city in the donbass region. ukrainian president zelenskyy warned it would be an open road for russian troops to other areas if the russians manage to capture the city. ukraine's defense minister has said the eu plan to supply them with ammunition was not enough. ukraine, they say, needs four times that amount. eu defense ministers are meeting

. >> western howitzers on the battlefield, an essential tool in a war that for the moment has settled into an artillery duel between ukraine and russia. ukrainian forces use up to 7000 rounds daily. sending a munition, especially -- ammunition, especially standard shells, has become a top priority and a big problem, says a defense expert. >> ukraine is running low. european nations are running out of stock piles. our reserves are running low. this is a big problem because we would not be able to deliver. >> to ramp up supplies, the eu's chief diplomat put forward a retract plan, proposing an additional one billion euros to buy ammunition, joint purchasing by member states, and increasing production in the long term. >> it's a big deal.

the european union was created for peaceful goals, so we now see the european union is moving into the military sphere. this is the first time in history. it is unique. >> the idea is to apply a mechanism similar to one used during the pandemic when the eu commission negotiated contract and acquired vaccines. the european defense agency could sign arms contracts on behalf of members. the more countries take part, the larger the orders, a plan the weapons industry is happy to see, says the head of a group representing more than 200 companies in germany. >> the quantities that are needed, very quickly, are 10 times higher than the current production capacities. the companies that are investing in increasing capacities need a

guarantee from the national state or the eu that the capacities will be utilized. >> an approach that could at last helpou -- help the e.u. strengthen military capabilities. >> today is momentum to start, the think or realistically, start real steps to build a european capability, because before that it was only words. >> details for the plan to ramp up ammunition production need to be hashed out and approved by e.u. members but a majority seem to be ready for closer military cooperation. >> concerns and mulled over that russia could be trying to undermine support for or toppled the countries will -- pro european government -- movement.

moldovan government has said it would blow up the runway at the airport rather than let the kremlin capture it. moldova has a breakaway region where authorities are backed by russia. >> 1 hour drive from moldova's capital, russian soldiers. they are here to keep frozen a conflict over who controls the other side of the river. most of it. we are heading to an enclave in a breakaway territory, a strip of land on the border with ukraine that claimed independence from the capital in moldova more than 30 years ago and ever since, has been backed by moscow. >> victor meets us at the village museum. victor and his friend are veterans of the war.

they fought for the moldovan government against separatists backed by moscow. it ended more than three decades ago, but victor says it changed everything. >> up until then i was one person. afterwards, i was a different one. i learned life is short. >> victor worries moscow's aggression against you rain might affect things here. >> i hope this year that the whole world will defeat putin the, russians, and the army. i hope these tanks and soldiers stationed here, including this ghost republic, will disappear. >> the enclave feels vulnerable. it is moldovan, but surrounded by russian controlled friends and estrella -- a russian

controlled area. a complicated situation. on the outskirts of the capital, feelings are hotter. people wanting to protest against the moldovan government are blocked by police. anger over economic hardship is overlaid by fears that the president could provoke russia over transnistria. the authorities seem nervous. >> we are afraid she will drag us into the war. she keeps talking about trendsnistria but we can't talk about it while there is a war close to us. >> at the heart of the protest, hostility towards president sandu is clear. people are not worried about russian aggression. >> i have never been to europe

myself but i have traveled to russia. in russia, it is better because they don't try to harm us like the people in power do here. >> the protests are funded and orchestrated by russia with the help of local oligarchs, according to the government. >> the kremlin is using oligarchs to try to destabilize the situation and they in turn are channeling resources to try to pay for the protests. i'm confident we will be able to withstand the challenge and move towards the goal that citizens have set for us in the election towards european integration. >> today is a special day for victor and fellow veterans. they gather in places they once fought and remember those who died.

it is the 31st anniversary of the beginning of war. >> you can see, war takes everyone. civilians and even children. may god have mercy on their souls. >> they aren't looking for war, they say, but should it come to them, they will be ready. >> let's take a look at the other stories making headlines. u.n.'s secretary general and president zelenskyy called for the extension of a deal with moscow that allows ukrainian grain exports. this allows ukraine to ship grain from the black sea ports and russia to export fertilizer and food. moscow signaled it might block the extension. police have clashed with protesters in athens as tens of thousands expressed anger over last week's train crash that left 57 dead. demonstrations are taking place across greece with striking

workers, and teachers demanding the prime minister resigned. the government admitted to serious failings within the state run rail system. pakistani police clashed with supporters of the former prime minister in an eastern city. the violence erupted ahead of an election rally that had been bound -- banned by the government. they claimed one of the supporters was killed but that has not been confirmed by police. the italian coast guard rescue dozens of minor -- migrants in the mediterranean. rescuers said there were no casualties. tens of thousands of migrants attempt the dangerous crossing to europe each year. u.s. safety regulators launched an investigation into electric car maker tesla over reports of steering wheels falling off while driving. it is the latest probe into the

company, whose self-driving system is being investigated following safety issues. protesters returned to the streets of the georgian capital tblisi the voice anger over a draft law. dubbed the forint -- foreign agent bill, it was backed by parliament this week. opponents say it would limit free speech and mark a shift towards authoritarianism. police detained dozens protesting tuesday against the legislation. >> georgia, at a boiling point. for these demonstrators, it has become a battle with the future direction -- for the future direction of the country, and they are willing to fight for it. the violent protests in tblisi were sparked by parliament giving the initial green light to a draft bill that critics say

tramples on press freedoms and basic civil rights. they claim it is a russian style law that would work wire ngo's -- require ngos and media that were -- receive over 20% of funding from abroad to declare themselves foreign agent's. scuffles broke out this week in parliament. the ruling party says it improves transparency in the country. georgia's president, an independent who is backed by the georgian dream party, went against the government and expressed her support for the protesters. speaking during a state visit to the u.s., she said demonstrators represent a free georgia, which sees its future in europe and will not allow anyone to take away their future. e.u.'s foreign policy chief

warned the bill was incompatible with e.u. values and standards. concerning words for georgians at a crucial time for their country's future. the european union is considering georgia's application to join. >> i asked joshua, a freelance journalist in tblisi, to tell us about the situation. >> it is the second day of protests against the law. i just got back from the site of the protests in front of the capital. the crowd was bigger than yesterday. it is less tense. the crowds are still not massive, but i would say there is a big sense of uncertainty here about where this is going. not necessarily the protests themselves but the significance of this law and what the government is trying to do by pushing it through.

>> 80% of georgia's population support the countries e.u. ambition. why does the governing party wants to push through a law that brussels calls incompatible with e.u. values? >> that's the big question. i don't think anybody has an answer. the government does see the country plus civil society sector, the independent media and the organizations, a handful of big western funded organizations that are very antigovernment, they see that as a big threat to them and they want to we can that. -- they want to weaken that. the law is a blunt instrument and carries the risk of ruining the country's chances for getting e.u. candidacy. it is hard to imagine it is worth the risk. the government might also think they can get away with it, the they are now, boo-boo because --

that they are now, because of the war in ukraine, the eu will still want them even if they don't meet all of the e.u.'s professed values. it is a big risk. >> i want to ask what the law would mean in practice for life in georgia. >> in practice, it wouldn't mean much. all it requires them to do is register, but i think people see the example of what happened in russia, where a law started like that and group -- grew stricter. people wonder why the government sees this of all times, when the government is trying to get to the eu, why pass a law like this? that is the most ominous thing. >> thank you so much. four u.s. citizens kidnapped by suspected mexican drug

traffickers, two have found dead and two have survived and been returned to the united states. rarities are still investigating how the americans perished. the friends had driven into mexico last week because at least one was planning to have cosmetic surgery. >> four on a road trip to mexico, guns down and kidnapped -- cut guns down and kidnapped. two made it back alive. >> mexican authorities handed over to u.s. authorities the woman who was unharmed, and the man who was injured, on the international bridge between brownsville. >> gunmen opened fire on them in a border city. the friends crossed into mexico friday with some seeking more

affordable cosmetic procedures. instead, they were caught up in the deadly turf war between powerful drug cartels. as news of the abduction spread, kidnappers reportedly moved from place to place to evade rescuers. >> the cartels are responsible for the deaths of americans. we are fighting as hard as possible, the dea and the fbi are doing everything possible to disrupt and prosecute the leaders of the cartels and the networks they depend on. >> mexico's president offered regrets to the families. >> we are very sorry that this has happened in our country, and we send our condolences to the family and friends of the victims and the people in government -- and government of the united states. >> lopez obrador also said the incident would not have generated as much attention had the victims been mexicans, and

not u.s. citizens. >> before we go, a reminder of the top story. on the eighth of march, people in iran are also celebrating international women's day. many women in the country say they have made significant gains in the past few months, but stress, the situation is still very dangerous. stay with us. after a break, i will be back to take you through the day. in the meantime, check on our website and find us on social media. our handle is @dwnews. see you in a bit. [captioning performed by the national captioning institute, which is responsible for its caption content and acracy. visit ncicap.org]

ñtñf?o■ñ■#■#■#■■

>> you are watching france 24. these are the headlines. emmanuel macron says a woman's right to choose an abortion will be enshrined in law. he says this is to avoid any repeat of the controversy that has played out in the united states. protests grow over a newborn law that means any business with 20% funding from abroad would have to announce itself as a foreign agent. some say there