June
27, 2023
The
sweeping public protests that erupted across Iran in response to the death of
Mahsa (Jina) Amini in custody of Iran’s morality police last September have
been characterized by many observers as the first feminist uprising in the
region. The visually powerful images of women and girls defying compulsory
hijab laws in the streets and the slogan “women, life, freedom” have
strengthened this characterization and drawn broad international sympathy. But
the sweeping protests and their demands for fundamental change were met with a
brutal government crackdown that resulted in hundreds of deaths and tens of
thousands of arbitrary arrests. Almost nine months later, women’s right to
choose their own way of dressing remains at the center of the protest movement.
Understanding why requires a closer look at how the broader struggle of women
for equal rights in Iran has evolved over the years.
