Four Years After Mahsa Amini’s Death, ‘Woman, Life, Freedom’ Movement Leaves Enduring Mark on Iran

Four years after the death of Mahsa “Jina” Amini in police custody, Iranian society continues to experience profound cultural and behavioral shifts sparked by the nationwide “Woman, Life, Freedom” uprising. The movement, which erupted in September 2022, challenged decades-long state regulations and reshaped the everyday lives, attire, and attitudes of citizens across the country despite heavy state crackdowns.

The unrest began following the arrest of Amini, a 22-year-old Iranian Kurdish woman who was exiting a Tehran metro station alongside members of her family. She was stopped and taken into custody by the Guidance Patrol, commonly referred to as Iran’s morality police, for an alleged violation of the country’s compulsory dress codes after her headscarf had slightly slipped back from her forehead.

Following her apprehension, Amini was placed into a police vehicle by four morality police personnel—two women and two men—and driven to a government re-education facility in downtown Tehran. The center was designated by authorities as a location to instruct women on state-approved attire and enforce adherence to mandatory dress regulations.

Government-released surveillance video from inside the re-education center captured the moment Amini collapsed to the floor after being confronted and scolded by a policewoman wearing a chador. Following the incident, she was immediately transferred to a nearby medical facility, where she remained in a coma for three days before being pronounced dead on September 16, 2022.

State officials disputed any culpability in her death, arguing that Amini had suffered from pre-existing medical conditions. Conversely, her father, Amjad Amini, contested the government’s narrative, stating that other detainees who had been held alongside his daughter revealed that she had been subjected to severe physical beatings while inside the morality police van.

The initial reporting on Amini’s hospitalization was broken by two local female journalists working for domestic newspapers, who shared an evocative photograph showing her grieving parents embracing outside the intensive care unit. Both reporters were subsequently detained and given prison sentences on charges related to national security.

Initial demonstrations that materialized outside the Tehran hospital quickly reached Amini’s hometown of Saqqez, located in the western province of Kurdistan, following her funeral service. Within weeks, the unrest expanded into a nationwide movement that mobilized citizens across 26 of Iran’s 31 provinces, drawing vocal solidarity from communities around the world and persisting well into the early months of 2023.

Human rights organizations and international bodies later documented a severe toll resulting from the state’s response to the demonstrations. The United Nations’ Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Iran corroborated findings by overseas rights monitors showing that security forces killed at least 550 individuals, a figure that included 49 women and 68 children, while rights groups such as Amnesty International stated that authorities engaged in crimes against humanity.

Central to the demonstrations was the Kurdish phrase “Woman, Life, Freedom,” which swiftly evolved into the defining slogan of the nationwide protests. The movement fundamentally reshaped how many Iranians view civil liberties and permanently altered how women navigate public life and choose their daily clothing.

Local residents emphasize that the societal transformations brought on by the demonstrations remain firmly rooted. Bahar, a 26-year-old woman residing in the capital, stated that the movement generated an irreversible cultural shift and fostered a progressive identity that authorities cannot dismantle. Having previously kept a scarf draped around her neck to guard against sudden state enforcement, she noted that she has now abandoned carrying the garment entirely, expressing a desire to dress freely like women across the globe and in other Islamic countries.

Other women in Tehran reported experiencing broader communal backing in their everyday routines. Setareh, another young resident, observed that family members have grown more supportive of personal dress choices, while instances of street-level verbal harassment have noticeably declined. She added that ride-hailing drivers now rarely decline service to unveiled passengers, noting that society and male citizens in particular have grown increasingly accustomed to women presenting themselves naturally.

The progression of public defiance is frequently highlighted by Iranians sharing memories online, such as an early act of resistance in which two young women ate breakfast in a traditional downtown Tehran restaurant without wearing the mandated headscarf. Although the two individuals were detained before being released, their public act paved the way for widespread participation in noncompliance across urban centers.

Mandatory hijab rules have been in place in Iran since shortly after the 1979 Islamic Revolution, and the government has consistently sought mechanisms to enforce compliance. When demonstrations initially swept the country in late 2022, state institutions organized official counter-protests, while conservative figures and state-aligned media outlets continue to publicly condemn those who disregard the mandatory dress code.

In late 2023, the Iranian parliament enacted a stricter hijab bill designed to impose harsher penalties on women who do not comply with the dress laws. However, President Masoud Pezeshkian acknowledged that the legislation could not be implemented effectively, pointing out that the vast majority of the population rejected the strictures and warning that enforcement risked igniting fresh domestic unrest, particularly while Iran confronts ongoing external pressures from the United States and its allies.