Women in Iran are unveiling themselves, both at home and around the world. A Facebook group called “Iranian Women’s Freedoms Stealthy” launched last week documenting Iranian women dressed in Western wear and flaunting their uncovered heads.
The group’s administrators, led by exiled journalist Masih Alinejad, claim they have no political affiliations. Their page exists as a space for Iranian women to express themselves through fashion.
In Iran, women publicly exposing their hair or faces remains taboo. Even foreign women visiting the country must cover their heads. Over the years, several prominent female politicians wore hijabs in the Middle East out of respect for their hosts’ cultures.
To Westerners, the Facebook group may appear delightfully shocking. But in Iran, increasing “Westernization” is a part of life. In a nation known for its religious bigotry, sexual and gender liberations are encroaching one day at a time. For example, it’s becoming more common for single men and women to date and cohabitate. There are even underground swinger clubs in the country’s larger cities.
Feminine self-expression comes with risks, however. Iranian laws require women to cover their heads and faces when in public. A special police force, the Gashte Ershad, patrols malls, subways and city streets to ensure women adhere to the dress code. Violating the dress code could result in fines and detention.
Hassan Rouhani, Iran’s “progressive” president, promised during his campaign last summer he would dismantle the Gashte Ershad. Although he hasn’t fulfilled this promise, he did bring the Gashte Ershad under his direct control at the Interior Ministry.
Hard-line conservatives took note, too. On May 6, a small protest erupted in Tehran decrying women’s unwillingness to sport the hijab. “Corruption and immorality have engulfed the nation,” said Shala Mousavi, one of the protesters.
