“We Are Human”: The Islamic Republic of Iran Adds New Restrictions and Punishments for Women Who Defy Hijab Laws
The Islamic Republic of Iran’s new “Protection of the Family through Promoting the Culture of Hijab and Chastity” law, set to be implemented on December 14, 2024, marks a significant escalation in the government’s control over women’s autonomy. Ratified by the Guardian Council in September 2024, the law enforces stricter dress codes, imposes severe penalties, and expands surveillance measures, drawing widespread condemnation from activists and human rights groups.
The law, comprising 70 articles and 38 additional notes, consolidates existing dress code regulations while introducing harsher punishments. These include heavy fines, prison sentences, and restrictions on employment and education. It addresses specific offenses such as “unveiling by students” (Clause 5 of Article 46), “women’s unveiling” (Article 51), and “improper clothing by drivers and passengers” (Article 54). Businesses and institutions that fail to enforce compliance face fines or operational shutdowns.
Article 49 stipulates that women wearing improper clothing face monetary fines ranging from 20 million to 165 million tomans (approximately $2,000 to $16,500). Repeated offenses result in harsher penalties, including higher fines and potential imprisonment. Article 50 targets women deemed “nude or semi-nude” in public spaces, with violators subject to detention, a five-to-ten-year prison sentence, or a third-degree monetary fine. The law’s vague definitions leave room for broad interpretation and misuse.
Under Article 61, public and private entities, including transportation companies, businesses, and residential complexes, are required to provide surveillance footage to law enforcement for identifying violators. Failure to comply can result in dismissal from public service or fines based on business income. Surveillance footage must be stored for at least 20 days, reflecting the invasive nature of these measures.
The law also targets digital spaces, requiring social media platforms to monitor and remove anti-hijab content within 12 hours. Influencers and public figures promoting “indecent behavior” face fines, travel bans, and career restrictions. Articles 26 and 61 mandate intelligence agencies, including the IRGC, to identify individuals collaborating with foreign entities or promoting “unveiling” culture. Those found guilty can be barred from leaving the country and face imprisonment.
“This is gender apartheid in its purest form,” said an Iranian journalist who spoke to More to Her Story on the condition of anonymity. “Women who do not wear the hijab will be denied all governmental and non-governmental services and face heavy fines. Even private companies are required to provide footage to the police. In my life, I have never seen such a cruel law targeting half the population of a country,”
The law’s passage bypassed full parliamentary debate, pushed through by a smaller Judicial and Legal Commission under the pretext of urgency. Critics argue this circumvention stifles democratic discussion and amplifies authoritarian control. President Masoud Pezeshkian, who opposed strict hijab enforcement during his campaign, is constitutionally obligated to implement the law despite his public stance. Human Rights Watch has urged him to resist its enforcement and mitigate its impact.
“The international community should demand that Iran stop its implementation of the new Hijab and Chastity law and instead ensure that women and girls no longer face discrimination and abuses for their choice of dress,” said Nahid Naghshbandi, a researcher with Human Rights Watch.
The government defends the law as promoting societal values, but Iranian women describe it as deeply dehumanizing.
“It’s insane. I am so angry. We are human,” said a woman living in Iran, speaking anonymously for her safety. “Girls as young as 13 can be punished for not covering their hair. This dehumanizes women at every level. It is shameful to call such an inhumane text a law,”
The law, activists argue, is not just an attack on women’s freedoms but a broader attempt to silence a generation of women fighting for basic dignity in Iran and beyond.
“The rise of extremism throughout the Middle East, from Iraq to Libya to Afghanistan is emboldening oppressive regimes like the Islamic Republic in Iran, where new forced hijab laws impose severe and extreme penalties on women—fines, imprisonment, and restrictions on their basic rights. These policies reflect systemic gender apartheid, and the inaction of the international community only enables their cruelty. Women across the region are fighting for their fundamental freedoms, and global solidarity is crucial now more than ever. This is not just an issue for one country—it’s a fight for humanity,” said Elham, a team member at United For Mahsa, a non-partisan social activist group bringing human rights issues in Iran to the fore.
As its implementation looms, the fight for women’s rights in Iran enters a new, more dangerous phase.
“The resistance will continue, I’m sure,” a woman in Iran told More to Her Story. “But I’m so angry right now.”