Passed after months of deliberations between the Iranian Parliament and the Guardian Council, the law was officially published on November 30, 2024, and will take effect on December 13. Critics, including the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), have condemned the legislation as an egregious assault on women’s rights, urging collective opposition under the slogan, “Woman, Resistance, Freedom.”
The law comprises 74 articles across five chapters, entrusting government bodies with enforcing strict hijab mandates. Despite claims from Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, the Speaker of Majlis, that the law avoids morality patrols and imprisonment, its provisions suggest otherwise. Ministries, municipalities, and institutions are tasked with implementing measures to ensure compliance, severely punishing those who resist.
Chapter Three exemplifies the law’s overreach, violating the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and international conventions like the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. Clause 8 of Article 16 mandates that municipalities, alongside organizations such as the Ministry of Culture and Guidance and the IRIB, monitor public spaces, enforce hijab adherence, and facilitate the activities of “virtue promoters.”
Government employees and business owners face severe consequences, including suspension, substantial fines, or loss of income for failing to enforce or report violations. Intelligence agencies, including the IRGC and police intelligence, are charged with suppressing dissent, adding a chilling layer of surveillance and control.
The NCRI Women’s Committee, amplifying the call of its president-elect, Mrs. Maryam Rajavi, decried the legislation as part of the regime’s ongoing effort to suppress protests and stifle dissent. They emphasized the law’s intent to undermine women’s freedoms and dismantle resistance movements.
This development follows the regime’s crackdown on protests sparked by the 2022 uprising, which initially fueled the drafting of the law. The NCRI Women’s Committee has called on international organizations to condemn the legislation and stand in solidarity with Iranian women. Urging defiance under the banner “Woman, Resistance, Freedom,” they highlight the resilience and determination of Iranian women in the face of systematic oppression.
