Iran’s Potential Gender Apartheid: UN Raises Concerns over Harsh Penalties for Women Not Wearing Headscarves
A potential draft legislation in Iran that aims to enforce strict penalties for women and girls who do not wear headscarves has raised concerns among UN experts, who warn that it may amount to gender apartheid in the country. The proposed law, currently under review by the Iranian parliament, would impose severe punishments, including lengthy prison sentences, on women who refuse to comply with the requirement.
In a statement issued on Friday, the UN experts expressed their worries about the draft law, stating that it reflects a form of gender discrimination and oppression. They argue that the Iranian authorities are governing through systematic discrimination, seeking to suppress women and girls into complete submission. Both the proposed legislation and the existing restrictions, according to the experts, are inherently discriminatory and could be deemed as gender persecution.
The UN expert panel, which includes various special rapporteurs and a working group on discrimination against women and girls, emphasized that the weaponization of public morals to deny women and girls their freedom of expression is deeply disempowering. They warn that such actions will only further entrench and expand gender discrimination and marginalization, with broader negative consequences for society and children as a whole.
Iran’s draft legislation, comprising 70 articles, also calls for penalties against individuals who do not comply with the regulations, along with the utilization of artificial intelligence to identify women who breach the dress code. The experts argue that these measures are restrictive and stand against the principles of individual freedom and human rights.
It is worth noting that this review of the draft law comes just weeks before the one-year anniversary of widespread protests that emerged following the death of Mahsa Amini, a young woman who died after being stopped by Iran’s morality police in September 2022. The protests, which took place across the country, were sparked by opposition to Iran’s mandatory hijab law, as well as broader political and social issues. During the demonstrations, women burned their headscarves and cut their hair, while schoolgirls removed their head coverings in classrooms.
Notably, under Iran’s Islamic Sharia law, introduced after the 1979 revolution, women are obligated to cover their hair and wear loose-fitting clothes to conceal their bodies. Violators have been subjected to public humiliation, fines, or even arrest.
The international community is closely watching the developments surrounding the proposed legislation in Iran, with concerns over its potential impact on gender equality and human rights. It remains to be seen how the Iranian parliament will address these concerns and whether they will reconsider the harsh penalties proposed for women who choose not to wear headscarves.
