The 70-article Hijab and Chastity Bill is nearing its final steps to become law in Iran. It targets not only women who defy mandatory Islamic veiling rules but would also impact import companies and the textile, fashion, tourism, and hospitality industries, which provide goods and services to such women. According to the bill, by doing so, these industries promote a culture of ‘nudity, unchastity, being without hijab, or with a loose hijab’ and shall be subject to punishment ranging from monetary fines to the loss of their licenses.

The bill will increase gender-segregated spaces and surveillance resources. Punishments for women not wearing the Islamic hijab in public will escalate to five to ten years in prison. It criminalizes actions from posting unveiled photos on social media to protesting hijab rules or collaborating with foreign media and governments against mandatory hijab laws. Celebrities breaking the law face severe penalties, and business owners could face fines, closure, and license revocation. The bill also allocates a significant budget to establish a central hub within the Ministry of Interior, to which ministries, state organs, and law enforcement agencies must report their compliance with the Hijab and Chastity regulation.

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