How Iranian Women Cutting Hair Became A Global Symbol For Women's Revolution

Women's revolution: Women are the margins. Women are the power. The reason why I say this is that even though women are pushed to the margins in our society, they emerge as the greatest symbol of power throughout history. We live in a world which has often witnessed women using their bodies that have been exploited as patriarchy's ground of morality as symbols of protest and power. History is filled with narratives of women who protested against the patriarchal rules of the government using their bodies. In the suffragette movement, women burnt bras to gain bodily autonomy. In 2004, Manipur women stripped themselves naked and unfurled the banners of “Indian Army Raped Us” as a protest against the alleged rape and murder of a woman by soldiers of the Indian Army. Today, history is being repeated. A new legacy of women protesting against the government through a global symbol is being created. Yes, your guess is right. Women in Iran and across the world are protesting against Iran’s moral policing of Muslim women by cutting their hair publically.

In the past few days, the world has witnessed a massive uproar of women across Iran as a consequence of the death of Mahsa Amini after she was arrested by morality police for not wearing her hijab properly. Women are protesting against the Islamic rule in Iran that forces women to cover their hair and neck in public using a scarf. Many female protestors were seen burning hijabs publicly in protest against the government of Iran. Apart from the hijab burning, cutting hair has become a global symbol of protest against Islamic law and to support the concerns of women in Iran. Masih Alinejad, an Iranian journalist, shared a video of women chopping off their hair in protest against Islamic law. She wrote in the tweet, “Iranian women show their anger by cutting their hair and burning their hijab to protest against the killing of #MahsaAmini by hijab police.”

Moreover, a video of Javad Heydari’s sister chopping her hair during the funeral of her brother who got killed by police during the anti-hijab protest also went viral.

As a result of this defiant act of Iranian women, many women across Europe, the USA and the Middle East are standing in solidarity by cutting their hair. Recently, Swedish Member of the European Parliament Al-Sahlani cut her hair during her speech in the EU parliament. She said, “Until Iran is free, our fury will be bigger than the oppressors. Until the women of Iran are free we are going to stand with you.” Holding scissors, Al-Sahani said, “Jin, Jiyan, Azadi.  Women, Life, Freedom.” (The outcry Iranian women protestors have been using in the anti-hijab movement.

Moreover, a Turkish singer Melek Moso cut her hair onstage while performing. Her act which went viral was in solidarity with the Iranian women’s protest.

Cutting hair defies beauty standards

So why has chopping hair become a symbol of protest among women globally? Hair is seen as a symbol of the beauty of women. It is this beauty that Iranian women are forced to hide under hijab since the age of seven. By chopping off their hair or shaving it in public, women are showing that they don’t care about society’s beauty standards and won’t let anything or anyone decide how they dress up, behave or live. Moreover, in Persian Literature, cutting hair has been used as a symbol of women mourning and protesting. The same is being repeated but the difference is that the characters aren’t fictional. By cutting their hair, Iranian women and women globally are not only grieving the death of Amini but also protesting against the hijab rule and hijab police that led to her death.

Although it is sad that even in 2022 women have to protest for the right to live and dress freely, it is amazing to see women across the globe standing in solidarity with Iranian women. Cutting hair is a symbol of defying beauty standards and rules related to it. Women in every section of society are bottled under these rules and standards and are not allowed to live as they want. Many women are not allowed to cut their hair because it defies social standards of beauty and sanskar. Many are not allowed to roam with open hair as it is considered ominous.  Now by using hair as a symbol of a patriarchal regime, women across the world are fighting against the issue that womankind is reeling under for ages.

It is this sisterhood that is required to pull down the reign of patriarchy across the world. Once women come together and consider one women’s issue as an issue of the entire womankind, feminism will see a new vigour. Now it is our duty to support Iranian women’s concerns because the freedom to ">dress and live freely is an issue women in every country are facing, including India. So chop that hair, speak up in public and do whatever you can to gain the freedom women want.

The views expressed are the author's own.