The “Hijab and Chastity” bill, introduced by the Judicial and Legal Commission of Iran’s Parliament in response to the “Women, Life, Freedom” protest movement, was approved by the Guardian Council on September 25, 2024.
This bill contains 69 articles, each of which further pressures women and queer individuals in Iran under the existing gender apartheid system. It grants permission for “field action” against women to three intelligence agencies, including the Ministry of Intelligence, the Intelligence Organization of the IRGC, and the Intelligence Organization of the Police, as well as to the police command, the Basij, and the Headquarters for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice.
This bill imposes new monetary penalties on women and the queer community who refuse to wear the hijab, putting them under increasing pressure in the context of economic hardship. Meanwhile, certain sections of this bill specifically reference businesses and recreational and tourism centers, threatening them with monetary penalties and even the closure of their establishments if they provide services to individuals who are not properly veiled or are inadequately veiled. The bill, seen as a reaction to the “Women, Life, Freedom” movement sparked by the killing of Jina Mahsa Amini, also imposes fines on men deemed to be “improperly dressed” according to Islamic standards, with escalating punishments for repeat offenses.
Furthermore, it prohibits influencers on social media from posting images without a hijab or defending the practice of unveiling, threatening them with various penaltiesanity matters more.
The “United Against Gender Apartheid” describes this bill as a dire warning not just for Iran, but for the region as a whole. The campaign plans to provide detailed reports on the implementation of the law and the public resistance against it, aiming to push for the formal recognition of “gender apartheid” in international legal frameworks.