The Historic March of Iranian Women on International Women's Day 1979
On March 8, 1979, over 100,000 women in Iran took to the streets to advocate for their right to choose their attire. This demonstration coincided with International Women's Day and marked the first such event following the Iranian Revolution, which saw the Islamic regime rise to power on February 11, 1979. The previous government led by Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi had been ousted, and women had anticipated greater civil and political liberties.
What began as a celebration of women's rights quickly transformed into a six-day struggle against the newly enforced Islamic dress code. Iranian political activist and human rights advocate Lawdan Bazargan noted that this was an early indication that the revolution had been co-opted.
In early March, the Islamic leadership under Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini mandated that women in government positions wear the hijab. During a speech on March 7, Khomeini stated that while women could work, they must don the Islamic veil. This directive led to widespread public discontent as women arriving at work without veils were turned away.
Meetings were organized in girls' high schools and Tehran University, leading to spontaneous marches throughout the day. Some demonstrators headed to Tehran University, while others marched towards the Prime Minister's office and the Ministry of Justice. Protesters chanted slogans in Persian, demanding freedom and equality, and rejecting the compulsory veil.
However, the new regime responded with a violent crackdown on the peaceful protests. Islamist revolutionaries and pro-Khomeini groups attacked the marchers with weapons, labeling dissenting women as enemies of Islam and Western agents. Despite the threats, the women persisted in their fight for rights.
Over the course of six days, women in Tehran continued to march for their rights, even after the Prime Minister announced on March 10 that wearing the hijab was not mandatory. Although there was a temporary easing of the hijab enforcement, the authorities soon reverted to stricter regulations, with laws mandating veiling reintroduced by the early 1980s.
These protests were significant as they highlighted the courage of Iranian women and laid the groundwork for future women's rights movements in Iran, including the anti-hijab campaigns in subsequent decades and the contemporary 'Woman, Life, Freedom' protests.