“Their gaze no longer weighs on his body”
Within hours, the incident spread on social networks, triggering a wave of enthusiasm and anger among Iranian women. Golnaz, a 29-year-old costume designer, reflects on the powerful impact of this image, which has become a new symbol of Iranian women’s struggle against compulsory hijab: “This is not just one person’s protest against the harassment of an oppressive system; it is a portrait of the courage and defiance of a new generation that promises freedom to Iranian women. What emerges, it is a society that now dares to go beyond the limitations imposed for decades. The protest of this young woman is a revolt against those who have stifled lives like hers. The men in this image are just as significant. more on her body. They pass without daring to look at her openly. This embodies the ideal that Iranian society must achieve.
The general admiration of Iranian women for the student’s gesture proves that, despite the progress felt since the “Women, Life, Freedom” movement, fury still simmers beneath the surface in reaction to ongoing discrimination and oppression . What makes this image so inspiring to many is that it embodies this pent-up anger. “Every time I feel the pressure of power and repression, my first instinct, my dream of liberation, is to take off all my clothes and stand naked. That is why my immediate reaction upon seeing the image of this girl was to cry. She is the expression of a constant, subconscious, materialized desire, moving down the street with strength and courage. When I shared this with my friends, I understood that they all felt it. same thing I would like to find words to express my admiration and my pride. I don’t know who she is, but maybe I can understand what she went through to get to this moment in history. explain Negar, a 24-year-old teacher.
“This young woman expanded the boundaries of anger”
The image reminds many of Vida Movahed. A women’s rights activist in Iran, she gained international attention in December 2017 when she publicly removed her headscarf on Enghelab (“revolution” in Persian) Street in Tehran, sparking a movement against compulsory hijab laws . Her peaceful act of defiance, which led to multiple arrests and brief detention, marked a pivotal moment in Iranian women’s growing resistance against restrictive dress codes. Afsaneh, a 36-year-old translator, reflects on this comparison: “The day Vida Movahed perched on street furniture, in the middle of the street, without the obligatory hijab, many did not take her seriously. Some were slightly worried about her, from a distance. Others called her act of futility, or just looked on. There were even those who claimed that she was an agent of the Islamic Republic or that she had mental disorders. But Vida Movahed did her duty. She moved the norms. boundaries: those of imagination, action, consciousness and possibilities Today, this young woman from the Islamic Azad University of Tehran has also done her duty. anger, I hope she doesn’t endure more pain and harm than we’ve already heard.”
Many also see this moment as extraordinary, a scene that not only challenges the oppression of the existing system, but also challenges patriarchal beliefs within conservative segments of society. These fringes have often ridiculed the Iranian women’s movement for civil rights and the freedom to dress with the derogatory phrase: “You’re just looking to be naked.” Sahar, a 32-year-old lawyer and women’s rights activist, explains: “This scene powerfully shows how nudity can become an act of rebellion against oppression and a resumption of individual rights. From accusation, it becomes an act of resistance. As long as a woman’s body remains somewhat something surprising, shocking and unusual – something that leads to arrests – its exposure will remain an act of defiance. It will be a struggle until it becomes normal for people to see it.
In Iran, women at the forefront of the resistance
“We must not leave women who take such measures alone”
However, many are concerned about the young woman’s fate, which remains uncertain, and stress the need to support those who engage in such protests. A concern shared by Negin, a 46-year-old civil servant: “We all know this shared anger, the humiliation inflicted on us by the hijab police. It’s an anger that makes us want to take off all our clothes, throw them in the face of the oppressor, and stand naked before them. How many times have we felt the need to respond in this way to the degrading behavior of the hijab police? This girl had the courage to do it. We must not leave women who take such radical measures alone. What’s troubling about this scene is seeing the other students stand back. A circle of support around her could have eased the psychological pressure she was under and made it more difficult. for security officers to arrest him.”
