Four years after “Woman, Life, Freedom”; a retreat of compulsory hijab in society

Four years after “Woman, Life, Freedom”; a retreat of compulsory hijab in society

🔸Four years ago, Mahsa (Zhina) Amini, wearing a long black manteau and a headscarf from which a few strands of hair could be seen, was detained by the officers of the Guidance Patrol—an appearance that today even seems conservative on the streets of Iran.

🔸From Esfand 1357, when women chanted in the streets, “We didn’t make a revolution to go back,” to Shahrivar 1401, the street has always been the scene of a struggle between women who demand the right to choose over their bodies and the clothing they wear—and a government that tries to control that choice.

🔸Now, the law on compulsory hijab remains in place, and arrests, summonses, fines, and social deprivations continue; however, the headscarves that were removed during the “Woman, Life, Freedom” protests have not fully returned.

🔸Have women, before the legal abolition of compulsory hijab rights, pushed back its social implementation? Radio Farda has examined this question in a roundtable discussion with Rozan Moghaddam, a researcher and women’s rights activist, and Mahdiyeh Golru, a political and women’s rights activist.

🔸Read the text of this roundtable on the Radio Farda website or listen to its audio file