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Articles on Hijab

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An Iranian woman not wearing a mandatory headscarf walks past a group of young women who cover their hair in November 2023. Morteza Nikoubazl/NurPhoto via Getty Images

Women’s activism in Iran continues, despite street protests dying down in face of state repression

Iranian women are still pressing for women’s rights and equality, just in quieter forms, including not wearing mandatory hair covers. Imprisoned activists are also leaking messages to others.
Iranian women protesting the death of Mahsa Amini gather outside the Iranian consulate in Istanbul, Turkey on Oct. 17, 2022. (AP Photo/Emrah Gurel)

What does ‘secularism’ mean in the Iran protests?

Narratives that pit secular protesters against a religious regime do not necessarily explain the protests in Iran or what they are calling for.
In much of the media outside Iran, female protesters not wearing the headscarf have been highlighted as symbols of defiance. AP Photo/Middle East Images, File

The veil in Iran has been an enduring symbol of patriarchal norms – but its use has changed depending on who is in power

The veil as a symbol of oppression has once again moved to center stage in Iran, but it’s important to know about the history of veiling – and mandatory unveiling.
A placard with a picture of Mahsa Amini, whose death while being detained by Iran’s morality police has ignited a wave of protests across the country. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)

The protests in Iran are part of a long history of women’s resistance

Iranian women have a long history of campaigning for their rights. The latest protests bring together a host of religious and gender groups suppressed by the country’s clerical regime.

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