On the 16 September 2022,
news broke that Mahsa Amini, a 22 year old Kurdish woman,
died in custody following her arrest by the Gasht-e-Ershad,
Iran's morality police, for improperly wearing her hijab.
The news of her death sparked protests in Tehran
which quickly spread to towns and cities across Iran,
becoming the country's longest major protests against the ruling Islamic Republic.
While Iran is no stranger to protests, the current demonstrations are unique.
Not only because they are about the rights of women,
but that they're being led by them too.
So why are the Iranian protests being driven by women?
When viewing the continuing process in Iran,
it's important to consider the wider historical and geographical context
that they are a part of.
Iran is home to one of the oldest civilisations in the world.
One that has a rich history of traditions and religions,
where women were not only highly respected,
but in some cases considered equals of men.
It's hard not to see that historical and geographical influence
in some of the powerfully symbolic ways women are protesting now.
The hair-cutting gesture,
adopted by protesters, activists, celebrities and politicians,
has its origins in Persian literature.
The epic poem Shahnameh, that tells the story of the Persian empire,
from the creation of the world until the Muslim conquest,
refers to Farangis cutting her hair and binding it to her waist
to protest and mourn her husband's death.
The Kurdish slogan adopted by protesters,
jin, jîyan, azadî, meaning woman, life, freedom,
also has particular regional significance.
Mahsa Amini was one of an estimated 10 million Kurds living in Iran.
Mahsa's Kurdish name is Gina,
but Kurdish names are deemed unacceptable in Iran
on the grounds that they are considered foreign and un-Islamic.
The slogan has spread globally and can be heard at protests around the world.
In a show of solidarity for the movement in Iran.
The early 20th century was a tumultuous time in Iranian history,
but the years following world war two saw a period of relative stability
that ushered in many social and economic reforms.
Among them were many gains for the rights of women.
The right to vote came in 1963
and the Family Protection Law granted women equal rights in marriage and divorce,
enhanced women's rights in child custody
and increased the minimum age of marriage.
There was also a greater access to education,
in 1966 just over 17% of the Iranian female population were literate,
this rose to 35.5% by 1976.
Women also entered public office for the first time,
but in 1979, the Islamic revolution marked a significant change in direction for Iran
and many of the rights of women were rolled back.
on March the 8th 1979, a month after Ayatollah Khomeini's rise to power,
a march to celebrate International Women's day
transformed into a massive protest against new enforced modesty rules for women.
But despite the demonstrations lasting for six days,
by 1983 wearing of the hijab was made compulsory.
Even today as Iranian authorities continue to restrict the rights of Iranian women,
it's hard not to see the legacy of the gains that were made during the mid-20th century.
Iranian women are now more educated than ever
and are demanding greater opportunities to shape their lives.
Literacy rates among young women between 15 to 24
have soared to 99% in 2021.
And as of 2019 women made up 58% of university enrolments.
As a result this generation of young highly educated women and girls
are protesting rules that limit their freedom of movement,
right to bodily autonomy and access to enter the labour force.
And despite the Iranian government's crackdown
that has seen many women and girls being killed, beaten and incarcerated,
the protest movement continues.