Silenced and Stone: A Feminist Critique of Gendered Violence and Legal Injustice in The Stoning of Soraya M

Abstract

The Stoning of Soraya M. vividly depicts systematic gender inequality in films, therefore highlighting the terrible reality experienced by women in patriarchal countries. Filmed from a feminist perspective, the movie questions the junction of legal inequity, gender-based violence, and the silence of women’s voices. Tragically accused of adultery and put to public stoning, Soraya’s tragedy reveals the misuse of judicial processes in patriarchal settings that devalues women’s life and voices. The movie shows how gender-based violence functions as a weapon of societal control meant to silence and create fear in women as well as as a kind of punishment. It also emphasises the internalised sexism that keeps the cycle of oppression running as well as the cooperation of men and women in preserving these systems. Examining Soraya’s social and economic condition, the study also looks at the intersectionality of her oppression and stresses the part cultural and religious deception plays in supporting patriarchal domination. Through emphasising Soraya’s narrative and the act of resistance Zahra embodies, the film asks for a worldwide feminist reaction to destroy institutionalised sexism and guarantee justice for women everywhere.