The clerical regime’s Guardian Council finally confirmed the Hijab and Chastity bill on September 18, 2024.
The controversial Hijab and Chastity bill is now ready to be implemented, marking a decisive step in the government’s efforts to tighten women’s dress code controls. The chair of the Judicial and Legal Committee of the mullahs’ parliament, Mousa Ghazanfarabadi, emphasized the bill’s importance and urged all government bodies to cooperate in its enforcement.
One of the key changes that stands out is the substantial increase in fines for those violating the law. Fines will now be significantly higher, following government approval of raised penalties. The scope of the Hijab and Chastity bill also extends to private individuals and vehicles, which has raised concerns about personal privacy and autonomy.
In response to mounting public criticism, an initial plan to automatically deduct fines from bank accounts was scrapped. Instead, violators will now have a one-week period to settle their penalties.
The bill infringes on personal freedoms and disproportionately targets women. The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights stated on September 1, 2023, in which a group of UN Human Rights Council-appointed experts slammed Iran’s Hijab law. The experts said the bill could amount to “Gender Apartheid,” underscoring the global concern over Iran’s increasingly repressive stance on women’s rights.
Despite the final approval, questions remain about how well the government and judiciary will collaborate to enforce this law. With rising tensions and increasing fines, the government faces a significant challenge in balancing the law’s enforcement with the growing dissatisfaction among the Iranian public.
The regime’s new president has intensified measures to crack down on society since assuming office. The new Hijab and Chastity bill complements the already rising number of executions aimed at keeping society in check.
