Iranian Women’s Head Coverings as Symbols of Resistance

by Shamma Tank

This image of a group of women walking through the streets of Iran may seem like an ordinary portrait of daily life. One woman with her head uncovered raises her fist in solidarity with another woman wearing a hijab, while a third has her hair partially exposed. Yet, this image is more than an everyday interaction – it captures a quiet form of resistance, challenging both state control over women’s bodies and Western misrepresentations of Iranian women. Taken in 2023, it reflects a critical point in Iranian history when women created a space for public defiance against Iran’s hijab mandate (“Iran: UN experts call for strict new hijab law to be repealed”). Emboldened by the Women, Life, Freedom movement, which began in response to the death of Jina (Mahsa) Amini in police custody after being arrested for improperly wearing her hijab, Iranian women took to the streets and took off their hijabs.

Iranian women’s resistance against compulsory hijab is often distorted by Western media, which frames it as a rejection of Islam rather than a challenge to state control. This reinforces stereotypes of Iranian women as passive victims trapped by “backward” Islamic traditions (Al-Sibai 2022). However, this resistance goes beyond the hijab; it is a fight against state policies that reinforce patriarchy and misogyny, limiting women’s freedom of choice (Tanis 2023). In 1936, Iran banned the hijab to “modernize” the country, promoting images of unveiled women to show alignment with Western ideals of progress (“Women across Iran are refusing to wear headscarves, in open defiance of the regime”). This contrasts current portrayals, where conservative authorities depict unveiled women as threats to Islamic values. 

Similarly, France and Quebec have imposed bans on women’s headscarves in public spaces (“France: Headscarf Ban Violates Religious Freedom”). In Iran, France, and Quebec, women have worn the hijab as an act of resistance against government bans. These patterns demonstrate how state-controlled dress codes stem from patriarchal ideologies aimed at controlling women’s bodies. The women in this image, captured by photographer Arash Khamooshi for The New York Times in 2023, walk through the streets of Tehran, some with hair uncovered, others wearing hijabs. One woman raises her fist, a gesture symbolizing solidarity with the Women, Life, Freedom movement. Testimonies from the accompanying article show that for many, this resistance is not about rejecting the hijab or Islam, but about reclaiming the right to choose. The group’s varied appearances demonstrate solidarity across different forms of expression, challenging state-imposed dress codes.

The Western media’s framing of veiled women as inherently oppressed erases the diversity of lived experiences among Iranian women, many of whom choose to wear the hijab as an expression of faith and identity (Bullock 2000). Truly recognizing women’s agency means also respecting those who exercise it by embracing traditional customs and religious self-expression (Mahmood 2019). By failing to recognize this complexity, Western media reinforces negative stereotypes of Muslim culture and further stigmatizes the hijab. This contributes to the social exclusion of Iranian and Muslim women in Western societies, where wearing the hijab is often framed as a symbol of oppression, reducing women’s agency and participation.

This misrepresentation also serves Western political interests, casting the West as superior while portraying Iran as backward. This framing justifies intervention to “liberate” Iranian women while ignoring their goals and voices. As a result, Iranian women resisting systemic oppression are erased. Al-Sibai’s (2022) study shows that Muslim women are more likely to appear in Western media through victimhood narratives, excluding representations of them as activists and leaders. By failing to acknowledge their agency, Western discourse distorts the purpose of their resistance, limiting their platform. The women in this image, making different choices about their attire yet walking together in solidarity, directly challenge the notion of Iranian women as passive victims. By defying state-imposed dress codes, they fight for their liberation through daily acts of bravery.

Legal debates surrounding women’s head coverings are often dominated by male authorities who impose their views without considering the needs of the women most affected. As a result, governments replicate patriarchal policies across both the Middle East and the West, reinforcing restrictions on women’s autonomy. This image recenters dominant legal and political discourse on local acts of liberation. It illustrates women’s autonomy and self-expression, demonstrating that resistance comes in many forms. By amplifying broader representations of women, including small daily choices of defiance, these images challenge Western portrayals of Iranian women as passive victims. Narratives of resistance help us look beyond the veil to recognize that women’s struggle is not about the headscarf itself but about granting women the choice to wear it on their own terms.