the repressed struggle of women as the presidential election approaches

Riding a bike: for a Tehran resident, a few years ago, it was unthinkable. “It’s like feeling free,” she rejoices. Now, she even dares to go out bare-armed if it’s hot. In this country where strict Islamic law reigns, something has changed. Women are now defying the ban. They are a minority but there are dozens of them, bareheaded, in the street. The starting point of this small revolution: the movement “Woman, life, freedom”, almost two years ago. It shook the ultra-conservative regime, which repressed it by force.

The mullahs’ regime wants to make the movement forget. On the walls of Tehran, the slogans have been covered up. And just before the elections, a popular festival mixed religious songs, games for children, and ultra-conservative campaigns. During the debates, the only reform candidate declared that a woman should not be attacked because of her outfit.