Following the law mandating women to wear hijabs in public, Iran authorities has launched a major crackdown on those defying the country’s strict dress code.
According to human rights advocates, authorities have deployed large numbers of police to enforce laws requiring women to wear headscarves in public.
Condemning the effort as a “war on women,” Amnesty International said in a statement this week that “security forces across the country have intensified their violent enforcement of compulsory veiling.”
The death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in a hospital three days after she was detained by the country’s morality police for allegedly not adhering to the mandatory headscarf law triggered public outrage and protests.
The demonstrations, which came to be known as the “Women, Life, Freedom” movement, were eventually crushed, but many women and girls across the country have continued to flout the dress code, appearing in public with their hair uncovered.
The United Nations Human Rights Office has expressed concern over the crackdown.
“What we have seen, what we’re hearing is, in the past months, that the authorities, whether they be plainclothes police or policemen in uniform, are increasingly enforcing the hijab bill,” Jeremy Laurence, a spokesman for the office, told reporters last month.
“There have been reports of widespread arrests and harassment of women and girls — many between the ages of 15 and 17,” he said.
Olekanma Favour is a resourceful, self-motivated, and result-driven writer with a passion for crafting compelling narratives and insightful content. She loves tackling complex topics and weaving engaging stories.
When she’s not writing, Olekanma enjoys immersing herself in a good book, exploring new cuisines, and discovering new cultures.