Following the “Woman, Life, Freedom” movement, Iranian girls and women, despite pressure, arrest, vi

Following the “Woman, Life, Freedom” movement, Iranian girls and women, despite pressure, arrest, violence, and even loss of life, have not backed down from their position on compulsory hijab. From a human rights perspective, the issue is not simply “hijab;” it is a woman’s right to her own body, clothing, and choices. No government should be able to take that choice away from women through laws, threats, or punishment. From a social perspective, what has changed is not only the behavior of girls and women; it is the relationship between law and society. Millions of women and girls have shown that it is possible to reject a legal obligation and stand against the normalization of coercion. The Islamic Republic continues to maintain laws and repressive tools to impose compulsory hijab and, at various points, has sought to advance the implementation of more restrictive measures. Yet, in the face of widespread resistance by women, the implementation of these policies has repeatedly encountered retreat, suspension, or delay. This does not mean that compulsory hijab has come to an end. But an important change has taken place: the government can no longer assume that it can control the behavior of millions of women as easily as it once did through law and force. Iranian women and girls may not have won the entire battle yet, but they have broken through the first line of defense: the belief that their bodies and clothing are under the control of the government. @iranhrdc #ThroughHerEyes #DayOfTheGirl #InternationalDayOfTheGirl #CompulsoryHijab #WomanLifeFreedom #HumanRightsFollowing the “Woman, Life, Freedom” movement, Iranian girls and women, despite pressure, arrest, violence, and even loss of life, have not backed down from their position on compulsory hijab. From a human rights perspective, the issue is not simply “hijab;” it is a woman’s right to her own body, clothing, and choices. No government should be able to take that choice away from women through laws, threats, or punishment. From a social perspective, what has changed is not only the behavior of girls and women; it is the relationship between law and society. Millions of women and girls have shown that it is possible to reject a legal obligation and stand against the normalization of coercion. The Islamic Republic continues to maintain laws and repressive tools to impose compulsory hijab and, at various points, has sought to advance the implementation of more restrictive measures. Yet, in the face of widespread resistance by women, the implementation of these policies has repeatedly encountered retreat, suspension, or delay. This does not mean that compulsory hijab has come to an end. But an important change has taken place: the government can no longer assume that it can control the behavior of millions of women as easily as it once did through law and force. Iranian women and girls may not have won the entire battle yet, but they have broken through the first line of defense: the belief that their bodies and clothing are under the control of the government. @iranhrdc #ThroughHerEyes #DayOfTheGirl #InternationalDayOfTheGirl #CompulsoryHijab #WomanLifeFreedom #HumanRights