Iranian legislators request changes to controversial new hijab bill

Iranian legislators have requested to amend a bill that would impose tougher penalties on women who refuse to wear the mandatory hijab, according to an article published by AFP on December 18, 2024.

The bill, approved in parliament but not yet submitted to the government for confirmation, has sparked a heated debate, over two years since nationwide protests erupted, partially over the Islamic dress code for women.

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Shahram Dabiri, Iran’s vice president of parliamentary affairs, requested to pause sending the bill for approval. However, the nature of this amendment is unclear, as Dabiri did not specify, or provide a timeline of when the bill can be expected to be ready for government submission.

The bill was originally approved in September 2023, officially entitled the “Law on Supporting the Family through the Promotion of the Culture of Chastity and Hijab.” This bill was initially meant to be provided to President Masoud Pezeshkian in December 2024.

The delay has in part been attributed to Pezeshikan`s “reservations” towards the legislature, describing the bill as ambiguous.

The 74-article bill is set to tighten restrictions regarding women’s public dress and threatens legal action against businesses and companies who fail to enforce the dress code of their employees and guests.

The bill also imposes harsher penalities of up to 10 years in prison or fines of more than $6,000 for promoting “nudity”. Iranian women currently convicted of breaking Islamic dress code may be subject to fines, jail time, and even public flogging.

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Following the 1979 Islamic Revolution, Iranian women have been required by law to cover both their head and neck. In September 2022, a wave of protests erupted following the death while in police custody, of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, who was arrested for allegedly violating the Islamic dress code.

The subsequent unrest saw the deaths of hundreds of people. As well as this, thousands of demonstrators were arrested.

AFP