The Battle Iranian Women Are Winning

"A mass revolt ensued-one that lasted for months and demanded an end not just to the mandatory hijab, but to the Islamic Republic as well. The movement failed to achieve that larger goal, but it did radically change public life in Iran. Technically, the hijab remains mandatory. Yet for the first time since its founding, the regime has lost the ability to enforce that law."

"The scene wouldn't raise an eyebrow in most cities. But a clip of it went viral, viewed by millions on X and Instagram, because it happened in Tehran. Western rock music is mostly banned in the Islamic Republic, and women are forbidden to dance in public, smoke, and-most important-bare their hair. Iran's mandatory-hijab law requires women to cover their head and entire body, except for their face and hands below the wrist."

Young people in Tehran publicly danced to banned Western rock music and many women exposed their hair, challenging strict social rules. A 2022 custodial death for "improper hijab" triggered months-long revolts demanding an end to the mandatory hijab and the Islamic Republic. The protests did not topple the regime but produced a marked loosening of public enforcement. Women in multiple cities now appear without head coverings, wearing tank tops, shorts, and showing midriffs in public. Viral videos from central Tehran and other cities show widespread noncompliance, indicating the state has largely lost practical control over hijab enforcement.

Read at The Atlantic