Policing Women’s Bodies: The Worldwide War on Women and Body Autonomy
Before we get to the heart of this article, I want to start by saying that one thing is never one thing. While this article is largely about Women’s Body Autonomy (or lack thereof) and how women are viewed through the lens of their clothing, at its core, it is about Mahsa Amini’s death in Iranian police’s custody for not wearing her hijab properly and the current state of Iran in the wake of the protests that followed.
I think that it is incredibly important to continue to acknowledge this moment in time and to support our sisters and brothers in Iran. Especially our sisters as they are affected the most. As you might already know, a big piece of how I look at sustainability is the interconnectedness of us all. And I have always and will always be in full support of a woman’s right to choose. Particularly when it comes to her body and her clothing. I see what we wear as a beautiful expression and extension of who we are, should we choose to express ourselves in that way. I do not believe that country, culture or religion has any say in that.
And just a reminder, a woman’s expression through her clothing is what she thinks it is, not what anyone else labels it as.
I am not a Muslim, nor am I a Christian or of any Abrahamic faith (or of any faith for that matter). So, take what I say with a grain of salt. Always. Always take what you hear with a grain of salt. And while I do know more than most about Islam, particularly in this country because of my studies, I encourage everyone to do their own research and form their own opinions. I have linked all my sources and added a specific sources section for all supporting articles that I used for this research. Some of these texts are pretty hard to read, so that kind of comes with a warning.
Mahsa Amini and the Beginning of the Protests
On September 16th, 2022, Mahsa Amini was arrested by Iran’s morality police and accused of violating Iran's ultra-conservative dress code by not wearing her hijab properly. While the government insists that she died of a pre-existing heart condition, to which there is no basis, the people of Iran believe that the morality police most likely tortured and beat her to death at one of the government's “re-education” centers. This is largely based on eyewitness accounts.
But, let's pause for a minute, since words matter I want to call this dress code what it is, oppressive. Again, I believe that a woman should always wear whatever she wants. This includes hijab or if a woman wants to wear a burka, that too should be allowed. For those that are unsure of the difference, a hijab is a head covering or scarf that covers the hair and often the neck. A burka is the full veiling that covers the whole head and face leaving only slits to see out of.
This policing of women’s bodies is nothing new, not to Iran and not to literally just about every other country and community on the globe.
Oftentimes religion, particularly Islam, is polarizing in the West. You are either Islamophobic or you’re an Islamist. But we should be cautious of the things we can’t criticize. When there is no gray area, no middle, there is no room for conversation. I want to reiterate what I said at the beginning of this article, one thing is hardly ever one thing.
So let’s talk about how we got here. Mahsa Amini is one of countless women and girls who have died because of the Islamist and patriarchal rule in Iran. This violence is obviously state-sponsored and institutionalized which contributes to Iran having one of the highest statistics of violence against women.
However, the outrage of the Iranian people seems to be facilitating change and there appears to be some progress. On December 14th, 2022, Iran was removed from the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW). This move was backed by a US-drafted resolution as a response to the Iranian government’s continuing efforts to violently repress protests across the country.
The resolution stated that the Iranian government “continuously undermines and increasingly suppresses the human rights of women and girls, including the right to freedom of expression and opinion.”
For context, the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) is the UN’s global body exclusively dedicated to the promotion of gender equality and the empowerment of women. Makes me wonder though, knowing that Iran has one of the highest statistics of violence against women, why were they allowed to continue to be a part of the UN’s Commission on the Status of Women anyway? Is this like a keep your enemies closer type of thing? I mean, I feel like the UN could do better.
Regardless, I believe that progress should be celebrated. Even if that progress is small or slow.
Background on Iran and Women’s Rights
I believe to understand where we are headed, or how we got here, we must acknowledge where we’ve been. A lot of people criticize Islam largely based on what they see now. And while that isn’t necessarily wrong, it is an extremely limited scope. Perhaps this is because of the perpetuated “othering” and general lack of communication between the West and the Middle East.
Long before any of us were born, women in Iran began pushing for increased rights in the late 19th Century (aka, the late 1800’s). But, it wasn’t until 1936 that the wearing of the veil (or hijab) was abolished and these women’s efforts were abetted under the first Shah of Iran and later by his son. Because when you’re fighting a system, it is a marathon, not a sprint and you cannot wish for change overnight. So this has been a decades-long fight and we are just witnessing the tip of the iceberg.
Westerners were (and perhaps are) largely unaware of the happenings in the Middle East and the women’s movement in Iran. So, while this may have taken everyone outside of Iran by surprise, in no way did this occur in a vacuum. While the abolishment of mandatory veiling was certainly a victory for women, it was a tragedy too because it had taken away a woman’s right to choose. So now, women were required to be unveiled, and for older generations of women, that was hard to accept. The veil was, for ill or good, part of their identity. And that’s not something that anyone else gets to decide.
Just as the Iranian Revolution and the advent of Ayatollah Khomeini and his conservative backing reinstating the mandatory wearing of hijab in 1979, which caused a drastic reversal of progress for Iranian women, what women wanted to wear was never a part of the conversation. So, over the course of the past century, the state of women’s rights in Iran has fluctuated. But again, what I want to highlight here is a woman’s right to choose. To choose what is right for her body with the bare minimum of that being what she gets to wear.
These are men, making decisions about women’s bodies and how those bodies need to be presented or covered. Through their lens, through the male gaze.
This view, through that political patriarchal lens, that women are less than has furthered domestic violence, imprisonment, child marriages, acid attacks and honor killings in the country.
Hijab enforcement has extended to organized acid attacks and instances of women being stabbed by members of extra-judicial groups. The Iranian regime’s failure to prosecute these criminals has only emboldened them. You don't have to look very far for examples of extreme imprisonment either. Three women who were anti-hijab activists were sentenced to 55 years and 6 months for failing to wear the head covering.
All the while the Iranian Constitution and laws state that girls as young as 6 must cover their hair and that by the age of 9 they are criminally accountable. This regime would gladly put a child in prison for not wearing a headscarf. In addition girls in Iran can be married at 13 (often to men well outside of their teenage years) and fathers are allowed to marry off young daughters at the age of 9 (with a judge’s approval). Which, in a patriarchal system that views women as possessions isn’t too hard to come by. Plus, many marriages go unregistered.
So you can see why Iranians are pushing back in force and calling for the complete dismantling of the Islamic Republic of Iran. As of this writing, it has been over three months since Amini's tragic passing at the hands of the Iranian government and these protests show no signs of slowing.
While I am not exactly going to call this a feminist movement, women continue to play a very prominent role in the demonstrations in Iran. They have been publicly burning their veils and cutting their hair in a direct affront and challenge to clerical leaders. Women are not the only ones standing up and fighting back, and it is very important to have Iranian men supporting this cause. But these women, who for decades since the 1979 Islamic Revolution have faced discrimination and severe restrictions on their rights, are now simply requesting the freedom to be treated as human beings.
This bravery and show of resistance is coming at a great cost to the Iranian people.
According to Human Rights Activists in Iran, at least 488 people have been killed since protests began in mid-September (a number that will likely continue to grow as you read this) with another 18,200 individuals having been detained. There is a growing international concern as to their safety and rights to a fair trial as the Islamic Republic of Iran has already publicly executed two protesters after biased private hearings. The unlawfulness of the trials have been highlighted by human rights groups due to a lack of legal representation and the overwhelming prevalence of torture and “coerced confessions.”
But there is always hope.
4 Ways to Continue to Support the Iranian People
(These ways to help are based on an Instagram post from @the.wellness.therapist)
Iranians are asking for those outside of Iran to amplify their voices.
Share their stories on our platforms. Whatever that looks like to you, whatever platforms you have. Don't let their deaths be in vain. Let this moment be a lasting movement for change, a revolution, not a footnote.
1. Continue to Repost Footage of the Protests to all Social Media Platforms
Keep the momentum going! The Iranian government continues to block the internet forcing Iranians to use VPNs & other potentially dangerous methods to get their stories out. When we reshare these videos and photos we are helping to amplify the voices of Iranians. In doing so, we send a clear message to the regime, the people of Iran have international support. Not the government. And this scares them because, as mentioned earlier, they don't want the international community to see what is happening. Footage being widespread online also raises the morale of Iranians to keep protesting. You know, like we see you, we support you.
2. Use Specific Hashtags as Well as Creative Hashtags to Get the Word Out
Use these tags when you post: #mahsaamini #jinaamini #zhinaamini #Mahsa _Amini #iran #iranprotests #opiran
The above hashtags are designed for people who are already aware of what's happening in Iran.
But to further get the story out to those who aren't aware, use other popular hashtags such as: #food #family #love #photography #news #politics etc. get creative!
3. It is Important that the West Doesn’t Intervene
No superhero complex needs to show up here, ok. No war. No western intervention.
Keep your support focused on the Iranian people fighting for their own liberation. The sanctions on the Iranian people are bad enough, let’s not engulf their home in war. Iranians don't want Western intervention at all. They want to fight for their own liberation. They deserve to fight for their own liberation. They simply want support from the international community. They want the atrocities documented.
4. Organize Where You Live
Make some noise, get into some good trouble! Attend support rallies in your community. Speak up. And honestly, that could just be talking about this subject with your people—your friends and family.
But be aware: due to sanctions against Iran, it is illegal to fundraise and send money there. So if you see people collecting funds, be weary.
Amini’s death stoked these flames of rebellion and I can’t help but think, is Iran in the midst of moment similar to our Black Lives Matter protests in 2020 as a response to George Floyd’s murder? Because the initial calls for accountability of the Iranian police have turned into demands for more rights and freedoms.
Or perhaps it is because I see echoes of the Policing of Women’s Bodies Stateside.
The overturning of Roe vs. Wade is a stark example of women’s bodies being policed here in the states. And for many, the removal of abortion protections at a federal level and the trigger laws that followed, it is a life-or-death situation.
I am not here to compare or conflate these issues. But we do have a morality police here in the United States, it simply manifests in different ways.
Rape culture
Victim blaming
Slut shaming
The age-old question “what were you wearing?”
I think that it is important to be a voice and uplift the stories of others when they have been stifled. Especially when they have been silenced and oppressed. Iranians are being killed in the dark simply for raising their voices and sharing their stories.
They are risking it all just to be heard.
Let’s be clear, we do not need heroes, we do not need any saviorism and we do not need to co-opt these stories. We simply need to do the best we can with what we have and support the people of Iran.
If you cannot see that their fight is our fight, that we are all so interconnected, I wish for you more love in your life. For we are not free until all of us are free. Free from oppression and free to live as we choose.
We are the ones we have been waiting for.
I stand with the people of Iran. I stand with change. I stand for creating a world where we are all free and equal.
Sources:
CNN - Mahsa Amini’s Death and Following Protests https://www.cnn.com/2022/09/24/middleeast/mahsa-amini-death-iran-internet-un-investigation-intl-hnk/index.html
Wilson Center https://www.wilsoncenter.org/article/reconstructed-lives-women-and-irans-islamic-revolution
The Borgen Project - Women’s Rights in Iran https://borgenproject.org/womens-rights-in-iran/
Women Rebel Against Dress Code https://www.hrw.org/news/2019/08/06/iranian-women-rebel-against-dress-code
National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) Women’s Committee - Violence Against Women https://women.ncr-iran.org/2020/11/22/violence-against-women-in-iran/
Washington Post - A comprehensive recap of the History of Women’s Fight for Freedom in Iran https://www.washingtonpost.com/made-by-history/2022/09/26/iranian-women-uprising-against-oppression-history/
Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) https://www.unwomen.org/en/csw
Iran is Expelled from the UN Women’s Right Council https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/12/14/un-expels-iran-from-un-womens-rights-body-for-protest-crackdowns
Public Executions of Detained Protesters https://deathpenaltyinfo.org/news/iran-executes-two-prisoners-arrested-in-ongoing-protests-threatens-more-to-follow
Videos of Protests https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2022/09/23/iran-hijab-protest-violent-crackdown/
Protests explained https://www.vox.com/2022/12/10/23499535/iran-protest-movement-explained
