After years of resistance and protests, Iran made a decision to suspend the mandatory use of the hijab, the Islamic veil, in public spaces for women, news that caused global repercussions.
The news was announced on June 1 by the president of the Iranian Parliament, Mohamed Bagher Ghalibaf, and was received as a historic event, although with some caution.
Since the Islamic Revolution of 1979, Iranian women were legally required to cover their heads. Compliance with this rule was supervised by the so-called "morality police," whose actions were harshly questioned by human rights organizations.
El velo islámico.
In recent years, protests multiplied, especially after the death of Mahsa Amini in 2022, a case that strongly reignited the demand for greater individual freedoms for women.
The announcement was surprising not only for its content, but also for the way it became visible. On French television, activist Henda Ayari appeared without the veil as a representative gesture of this new stage opening in Iran.
"I wanted this gesture, this cry of liberation, to be seen by millions of people in France but also around the world, to give strength, courage, and hope to women. To let them know they're not alone. They have the right to live free, with their faces revealed, proud, standing tall," she declared.
The announced change means that the violent sanctions will no longer be applied to those who decide not to wear the hijab in public spaces. Nevertheless, the regulation was not officially repealed, which leaves open the possibility that its enforcement could be resumed at any time.
El velo islámico.
This suspension represents relief for many women who felt watched, restricted, or even punished for showing their hair. It also means a symbolic triumph for Iranian protesters, who for decades remained steadfast through everyday gestures, digital campaigns, and street demonstrations, despite attacks from the Islamic regime.
Despite everything, various sectors warn that this progress is only a first step. State control over women's clothing continues to be a tool of repression, and many other restrictive regulations remain in force. In addition, the regime still retains the power to reverse this measure if it considers its political stability to be at risk.
The suspension of the hijab mandate doesn't mean full freedom for Iranian women, but it does represent a break in a system that for decades seemed unbreakable.
