The law explicitly frames any type of behaviour, speech, or sexually suggestive action that contradicts Islamic law as "indecency" and enforces severe penalties for citizens who fail to comply. This Bill specifically punishes women who appear in public or areas visible to the public, whether in physical or online spaces, without wearing a hijab. In a system that already severely restricts women's freedoms, this law represents a terrifying escalation of state-sanctioned gender discrimination.

The broad, vague language of the law opens the door for arbitrary and extreme punishment, from escalating fines and imprisonment to restricted access to public and private spaces and services and, in some cases, the death penalty for those deemed to be promoting “corruption” through non-compliance. It is a deliberate and violent system of gender control, reducing women to mere subjects of the state’s narrow, oppressive interpretation of morality.

Key Concerns:

• Criminalisation of Personal Freedom: This law directly criminalises women’s right to choose what they wear, turning personal, private decisions into punishable offenses. Women who refuse to comply with the hijab law face escalating fines. Mocking hijab, taking part in organised activities against hijab, or collaboration with foreign governments or agencies have escalating prison terms, and potentially the death penalty. This is not just a law—it is a mechanism for systematic gender subjugation, turning women into criminals simply for asserting their autonomy. The vague language in the Billleaves the door open for arbitrary punishments that are more extreme than the act.
   
• Gender Apartheid and Segregation: The law enforces a system of institutionalised gender apartheid, denying women and religious minorities access to basic public services, employment, education, and the right to move freely in public spaces unless they conform to the State’s definition of Islamic dress codes. Non-compliant women face exclusion from society—an exclusion that deprives them of their human dignity, equal rights, and fundamental freedoms.
   
• Surveillance State and Citizen Informants: The law encourages a culture of surveillance and denunciation, where citizens, including ride-hailing drivers, are required to monitor and report women’s compliance with the hijab mandate. This creates a pervasive environment of fear, in which personal freedoms are restricted not only by the state but by fellow citizens, deputising ordinary people to enforce authoritarian rules.
   
• State-Sanctioned Control and Promotion of Patriarchy: The Iranian government is diverting vast public resources to promote the hijaband chastity, funding pro-hijab organisations, and developing surveillance systems to monitor compliance. This is a deliberate attempt to entrench patriarchal control and suppress any notion of gender equality through state-funded propaganda and repression.
   
• Censorship and Thought Control: The law enforces an extreme censorship regime, banning media, literature, and advertisements that promote individual freedom of expression or challenge the state’s narrow interpretation of modesty. Public and private entities are coerced into promoting this oppressive narrative, silencing dissent, and criminalising the promotion of women’s autonomy.
   

This law is not merely a matter of dress codes—it is a state-sponsored system of violence and domination, systematically stripping women of their dignity, freedom, and right to live as equals in their own country.

Request for Action:

Given the gravity of this situation, we urge you to take the following immediate actions:

• Raise Questions in Parliament: Demand that the UK Government take a firm stance on this law. Raise questions about its implications for women’s rights and human rights more broadly.
   
• Legal recognition for gender apartheid: Support the codification of gender apartheid in the draft Crimes Against Humanity Convention, and the recognition of gender apartheid as a crime against humanity in UK law.
   
• Condemn the Law: Request the UK Government to publicly condemn Iran’s Hijab & Chastity Law, calling for an immediate end to the criminalisation of women’s rights and bodily autonomy.
   
• Raise the Issue in International Forums: Use platforms such as the United Nations and the European Union to apply diplomatic pressure on Iran, demanding that it respects the rights of women and guarantees their freedom of choice.
   
• Support Iranian Women’s Resistance: Amplify the voices of Iranian women who continue to resist this oppressive law. Share their stories, support their movements, and advocate for international solidarity.

This law represents the height of authoritarian control and the erosion of fundamental human rights, particularly women’s rights. It is critical that the UK Government takes a leading role in holding Iran accountable and defending the rights of Iranian women who continue to fight for their freedom and dignity.

We call on you to join us in standing up against this injustice and demanding urgent action for the women of Iran.