Compulsory hijab in Iran

Hijab in Iran, the traditional head covering worn by Muslim women for modesty for centuries, have been practiced as a compulsion supported by law in Iran after the 1979 revolution. In the 1920s, a few women started to appear unveiled. Under Reza Shah, it was discouraged and then banned in 1936 for five years. Under Reza Shah's successor, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, hijab was considered "backward" and rarely worn by upper and middle-class people. Consequently, it became a symbol of opposition to the shah in 1970s, and was worn by women (educated, middle and upper class) who previously would have been unveiled.

After the 1979 Iranian Revolution and overthrow of the Pahlavi dynasty, veiling again was encouraged, and in 1981 the covering of hair and wearing of loose-fitting clothing covering all but hands and face was made legally mandatory for women. Since the death of Mahsa Amini in 2022, hijab has again become a political symbol, this time of opposition to the Islamic Republic, and defiance of the law by younger women has been observed "in towns and cities" and been called "too widespread to contain and too pervasive to reverse". As of April 2023, however, the Islamic Republic has vowed to enforce the "divine decree" of the hijab.

Through the order of minister of industry, mining and commerce Hijab was made tax exempt in 2023, and IRGC Basij began permanent exhibition called "Hijab city" in Tehran and Isfahan cities. In August 2023, Etemad reported veil Chador could have possibly become mandatory for women in the universities.

The UN has called the Iranian government gender apartheid. In September 2023, the Iranian government opened a public mobile app website for Monitors (ordinary people and/or its informant agents) to report women that don't wear full hijab.

For university students, talking with the opposite sex was criminalized, as was wearing perfume.

Subway trains were sex segregated in September 2023.

Waves of Iranian women removing their Hijab has been likened to the fall of the Berlin wall.

Wearing clothes that don't cover the neck or thigh or showing one's ankles or forearm is considered illegal.