Systemic use of Violence Against Women: Iran
This case note documents the occurrence of sexual violence in violent conflict. It contains explicit mentions of different forms of sexual assault. Reader discretion is advised.
The Law Enforcement Command of the Islamic Republic of Iran operates the Guidance Patrol, or “Morality Police,” which is a religious police force and vice squad within the law enforcement mechanism (Ghaedi, 2022). It enforces Sharia law in line with the laws in Iran, which most often centre on the enforcement of the Islamic dress code, such as ensuring that women wear hijabs. The Guidance Patrol was established in 2005, and reports to the Supreme Leader (Sharafedin, 2016). Following the 1979 Revolution in Iran, the law requires all women to wear hijabs, covering their head, neck, and hair (Sharafedin, 2016). The predecessor of the Guidance Patrol, the Islamic Revolution Committees, operated as the morality police until 2005. The Guidance Patrol has been known to reward women with flowers for wearing a hijab, and also to force women to sign statements promising to wear hijabs (Parsa, 2016). In enforcing these rules, the Guidance Patrol has used violence, resulting in the death, detention, and discrimination against women.
Prevalence of Violence against Women
Throughout Iran’s history since 1979, women have been subject to violence at the hands of the Guidance Patrol, for the enforcement of the law, particularly on wearing a hijab. For instance, over three months in 2014, as many as 220,000 women were taken to police stations and made to sign statements where they promised to wea hijabs (Parsa, 2016). Further, 19,000 were given hair-covering notices, and 9,000 of them were detained (Parsa, 2016). As many as 3.6 million other women were given warnings for failing to adhere to the dress code (Center for Human Rights in Iran, 2016). In 2015, over eight months, the Guidance Patrol stopped 40,000 women driving in Tehran for not obeying the dress code, and impounded most of their cars (Center for Human Rights, 2016). As many as 7,000 undercover Guidance Patrol officers caught “violators” in 2016 (Kenyon, 2016). In April 2024, more rigorously violent morality patrol was imposed, where a secret, classified chastity program law sought to prohibit women who did not wear hijab to leave the country (Khabar Online, 2024). In June 2024, 7,000 troops were deployed to the beaches to enforce the hijab (Iran International, 2024). In August 2024, the Minister of Islamic Culture and Guidance ordered the employment and training of 1,500 missionary personnel for hijab and chastity, called Mujahideen Fatimi (Iran International, 2024).
Basis of the Use of Violence
The violence in Iran is gendered and sexualized, although not necessarily sexual in itself. This violence is used with the aim of subjecting women to control and subservience and to conformity with a patriarchal legal and religious paradigm. The Guidance Patrol was named to have subjected Mahsa Amini to torture resulting in her death (Moaveni, 2023), and Armita Geravand to an encounter that resulted in her falling into a coma and being declared brain dead (Reuters, 2023).
References
Center for Human Rights in Iran (2016). New App that Detects Morality Police is Instant Hit in Iran . https://iranhumanrights.org/2016/02/gershad-app/
Ghaedi, M. (2022). "Iran's 'morality police:' What do they enforce?" https://www.dw.com/en/irans-morality-police-what-do-they-enforce/a-63200711
Iran International (2024). Iran Escalates Beach Surveillance Deploying 7,000 Police to Enforce Hijab . https://www.iranintl.com/en/202406063969
Kenyon, P. (2016). Springtime In Iran Means The 'Morality Police' Are Out In Force. https://www.npr.org/sections/parallels/2016/05/03/476511439/springtime-in-iran-means-the-morality-police-are-out-in-force
Khabar Online (2024). Passage of Chastity and Hijab Bill between Parliament and Guardian Council / Text and margins of "confidential" and "urgent" review of a bill. https://www.khabaronline.ir/amp/1888209/
Moaveni, A. (2023). The Protests Inside Iran's Girls' Schools. https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2023/08/14/the-protests-inside-irans-girls-schools
Parsa, M. (2016). Democracy in Iran; Why It Failed and How It Might Succeed. Harvard University Press.
Reuters (2023). Iranian teenager Armita Geravand is 'brain dead': state media. https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/iranian-state-media-teenage-girl-armita-geravand-is-brain-dead-2023-10-22/
Sharafedin, B. (2016). "Rouhani clashes with Iranian police over undercover hijab agents." https://www.reuters.com/article/us-iran-rights-rouhani-idUSKCN0XH0WH
