Iranian Women Breaking Barriers: The Rise of Female Motorcyclists in Tehran's Streets

After women began forgoing the hijab, an increasing number of women started riding their motorbikes through Tehran's congested streets. (File)

Tehran:

When Merat Behnam initially mustered the courage to ride her yellow scooter through Tehran's gridlocked streets to her coffee shop, traffic congestion wasn't her primary concern.

Instead, she prepared herself for disapproving glances, verbal harassment, and potential police intervention for being a woman motorcyclist in Iran's capital, an activity long frowned upon by conservative clerics and hardliners.

However, Behnam, 38, discovered widespread acceptance on the road - reflecting a broader reconsideration of societal expectations among Iranian women.

This shift isn't universal, particularly as hardline politicians advocate for stricter enforcement of hijab laws amid Iran's crackdown on intellectuals following the 12-day Iran-Israel conflict in June - but it nonetheless represents significant social evolution.

"It was a major accomplishment for me," Behnam told The Associated Press after arriving at her café recently. "Initially, I was quite anxious, but gradually people's reactions and treatment greatly encouraged me."

Two factors historically prevented women from operating motorcycles or scooters in Iran. First, police regulations in Farsi specifically mention only "mardan" or "men" as eligible for motorcycle licenses - using gender-specific terminology in an otherwise grammatically gender-neutral language.

"This issue constitutes not merely a violation but a crime, and my colleagues will address these individuals, as none of these women currently possess a driver's license and we cannot act contrary to the law," stated Gen. Abulfazl Mousavipoor, Tehran's traffic police chief, in a September report by the semi-official ISNA news agency.

The second barrier is cultural. While Iranian women now hold jobs, political offices, and car licenses, since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, the country has imposed conservative Shiite Islamic standards on female conduct. This includes mandatory hijab laws, which sparked massive demonstrations in 2022 following Mahsa Amini's death after allegedly being detained for inadequate headscarf compliance.

According to some conservative clerics and hardliners, a woman riding a scooter or motorcycle constitutes "tabarruj" - excessive flaunting of beauty prohibited by Islam.

"Maintaining proper covering for women while riding motorcycles is crucial," hardline lawmaker Mohammad Seraj told the semi-official ILNA news agency in September. "A woman on a motorcycle cannot maintain modest attire since both hands are occupied with steering and she is exposed to wind."

For many, this motorcycle prohibition contradicts the reality of Tehran's congested streets, with an estimated 4 million cars and 4 million motorcycles in daily circulation. For decades, women wearing all-encompassing black chadors could be seen riding side-saddle on male-driven motorcycles.

However, as women began abandoning the hijab, more started taking risks by riding motorcycles through Tehran, avoiding congestion charges that can exceed 20 million rials ($20) monthly. While still representing a small percentage of overall traffic, their presence has become increasingly commonplace.

"There's no political manifesto or social agenda here," Behnam explained. "It's simply that my workplace is downtown and I commute daily from Sattarkhan in the west. The traffic, parking challenges, and zone restrictions were becoming unbearable."

For others, however, it represents a political issue. Speculation suggests that reformist President Masoud Pezeshkian's administration, which campaigned on openness to the West before the recent conflict, might modify regulations to permit women to obtain licenses. Reformists seeking internal change within Iran's theocracy have advocated for this shift.

"The time has come to transcend cultural judgment's invisible barriers and bureaucratic constraints," stated the Shargh newspaper in September. "For women, motorcycle riding isn't merely transportation but symbolizes choice, independence, and equal societal participation."

Benham notes that riding her motorcycle provided her first positive interaction with law enforcement.

"For the first time, a police officer - actually, a traffic officer - made me feel supported and safer. I sensed genuine support," she recounted. "Even when they issued warnings, these concerned technical matters like parking regulations or helmet requirements, not my gender."