Since 1983, four years after the Islamic Revolution in Iran, hijab became mandatory for all women. The requirement to observe hijab for girls begins at an early age, and they are forced to observe it in public places, workplaces, and educational environments. Today, hijab in Iran has become a political symbol.

On September 16, 2022, a young Kurdish woman named Jina (Mahsa) Amini was arrested on charges of not observing hijab in accordance with government standards. She died following police violence, and this event became the starting point of widespread protests in support of women’s right to choose and in opposition to mandatory hijab and social injustices, with the slogan “Jin, Jiyan, Azadi” (Woman, Life, Freedom). This movement was able to bring about freedoms and to some extent achieve a relative freedom in the type of clothing for women without hijab, especially in large cities like Tehran. However, girls and women are still required to observe hijab in schools, universities, and government office workplaces. At the time I took these photos in Iran in 2017, clothing everywhere was like this.