Case study: Woman, Life, Freedom

Introduction

In September of 2022, a 22-year-old Kurdish woman, Jina Mahsa Amini, was arrested and beaten to death by morality police in Tehran, Iran, for failing to comply with hijab regulations. In response, thousands of people began protesting, and “woman, life, freedom” became their rallying cry in physical and virtual spaces. As Azadeh Akbari says in her 2022 article in The Guardian, “Amini’s death has led to the bursting open of 44 years of Iranian women’s struggle against unjust laws and lack of control over their bodies and sexuality.” 

The resources in this section are organized by format, then alphabetically by the writer’s last name, but you might choose to use them chronologically as we’ve included some that provide context and information about other events occurring prior to and since Amini’s murder. You might also use this case alongside resources detailing the laws prohibiting head and body coverings in France or those from women who (have the freedom to) choose to wear head or body coverings in the US or other parts of the world.

Articles

• Abbas, L., & Elhosary, M. (2025). Digitized narratives on #MahsaAmini: Constructing a digital transnational feminist movement on TikTok. Women’s Studies in Communication, 1–26. https://doi.org/10.1080/07491409.2024.2431332 
• Alami Fariman, M., & Hakiminejad, A. (2024). Woman, Life, Freedom: Revolting space invaders in Iran. European Journal of Cultural Studies. https://doi.org/10.1177/13675494241268101
• Basmechi, F., & Ignatow, G. (2021). Forming an affective public online: Aggressive posts and comments in the My Stealthy Freedom movement. First Monday, 26(3). https://doi.org/10.5210/fm.v26i3.11471 
• Chakraborti, N., & Zempi, I. (2020). Criminalising oppression or reinforcing oppression? The implications of veil ban laws for Muslim women in the West. Northern Ireland Legal Quarterly, 64(1), 63-74. https://doi.org/10.53386/nilq.v64i1.334 
• Elmore, N. (2024). Solidarity across borders: transnational implications from the Mahsa Amini movement. Social Movement Studies, 1–7. https://doi.org/10.1080/14742837.2024.2407301
• Fathzadeh, F. (2020). The veil: An embodied ethical practice in Iran. Journal of Gender Studies, 30(2), 150–164. https://doi.org/10.1080/09589236.2020.1863194 
• Marks, E. J. (2023). The role of social media in Iran: Finding community through the death of Jina (Mahsa) Amini. Compass: The Student Anthropology Journal of Alberta, 3(1), 20-27. https://journals.library.ualberta.ca/compass/index.php/compass/article/view/74
• Mas’Odi, M., & Ahmad, F. (2023). Mahsa Amini, hijab, and mass movements: Reading the Iranian constitution about women in public spaces. Syura: Journal of Law, 1(1), 25–41. https://doi.org/10.58223/syura.v1i1.38
• Mehrabi, T. (2023). Woman, Life, Freedom: On protests in Iran and why it is a feminist movement. Kvinder, Køn & Forskning, 34(2), 114–121. https://doi.org/10.7146/kkf.v34i1.134480 
• Mubarak, F. (2024). Riots or revolution? A framing analysis of the Mahsa Amini protests in U.S. and Iranian media. Media Asia, 1–25. https://doi.org/10.1080/01296612.2024.2370120
• Najmabadi, A. (2006). Gender and secularism of modernity: How can a Muslim woman be French? Feminist Studies, 32(2), 239-255. https://doi.org/10.2307/20459085 
• Rahbari, L., Longman, C., & Coene, G. (2019). The female body as the bearer of national identity in Iran: A critical discourse analysis of the representation of women’s bodies in official online outlets. Gender, Place & Culture, 26(10), 1417–1437. https://doi.org/10.1080/0966369X.2018.1555147 
• Sigurdardottir, H., Imani, M., & Edalati, Z. (2024). Asking for solidarity: embodied feminist practices in digital space. Gender & Development, 32(1–2), 523–545. https://doi.org/10.1080/13552074.2024.2365058 
• Tolmie, J. (2025). Woman, Life, Freedom and the comics classroom after Mahsa Amini. Humanities, 14(2), Article 35. https://doi.org/10.3390/h14020035

Books and Chapters

• Goodrich, N. H. (2023). “Say her name, Mahsa Amini!” An overview of the Woman, Life, Freedom movement in Iran. In Kamalipour, Y. R., & Pavlik, J. V. (Eds.), Communicating global crises: Media, war, climate, and politics (Chapter 8). Rowman & Littlefield.
• Kermani, N. (2024). Woman Life Freedom: The uprising in Iran, July-December 2022. In N. Kermani, What is possible now: 33 political situations (Chapter 33). Polity Books.
• Khosrokhavar, F. (2024). Revolt against theocracy: The Mahsa Movement and the feminist uprising in Iran. Polity Press.
• Nasehi, E. (2017). The question of hijab and freedom: A feminist critical discourse analysis of the Facebook page My Stealthy Freedom. In Proceedings of the Fourth International Conference in Communications & Media Studies: If You Wish Peace (pp. 15-24).
• Orazani, N., & Teymoori, A. (2024). The manifold faces of political resistance: The Woman, Life, Freedom movement. In F. Bou Zeineddine, & J. R. Vollhardt (Eds.), Resistance to repression and violence: Global psychological perspectives (pp. 137-156). Oxford Academic. https://doi.org/10.1093/9780197687703.003.0007
• Satrapi, M. (2024). Woman, life, freedom (U. Dimitrijevic, Trans.). Seven Stories Press.

Popular Press

• Akbari, A. (2022, Sep. 26). Shutting down the internet is another brutal blow against women by the Iranian regime. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/sep/26/elon-musk-iran-women-mahsa-amini-feminists-morality-police 
• BBC News. (2019, Jul. 11). Islamic headscarf: Iran’s promotional video divides opinion. BBC. https://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-trending-48951933   
• BBC News. (2019, Jun. 11). Iranian hardliners threaten taxi app boycott in hijab row. BBC. https://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-trending-48593981 
• BBC UGC & Social News team. Woman becomes face of Iran protests despite not being there. BBC. https://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-trending-42553158 
• Cheong, C. (2022, Sep. 21). Muslim women are taking off their headscarves and cutting their hair on TikTok to protest Iran’s hijab rules following the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini. Business Insider. https://www.businessinsider.com/iranian-women-cut-hair-tiktok-protest-death-mahsa-amini-2022-9 
• Gambrell, J. (2024, Sep. 14). Women in Iran are going without hijabs as the 2nd anniversary of Mahsa Amini’s death approaches. AP News. https://apnews.com/article/iran-hijab-protests-mahsa-amini-anniversary-59641e9254eea45c069b54d590c7e818
• Girdap, H. (2022, Nov. 23). Mahsa Amini: Women’s bodily autonomy in the context of Islamism and far-right populism. European Center for Populism Studies. https://www.populismstudies.org/mahsa-amini-womens-bodily-autonomy-in-the-context-of-islamism-and-far-right-populism/
• Iran: Abusive forced veiling laws police women’s lives. (2019, May 28). Amnesty International. https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/campaigns/2019/05/iran-abusive-forced-veiling-laws-police-womens-lives/   
• Iran: Two years after ‘Woman Life Freedom’ uprising, impunity for crimes reigns supreme. (2024, Sep. 11). Amnesty International. https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2024/09/iran-two-years-after-woman-life-freedom-uprising-impunity-for-crimes-reigns-supreme/ 
• Iran: New compulsory veiling law intensifies oppression of women and girls. (2024, Dec. 10; updated 2024, Dec. 17). Amnesty International. https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2024/12/iran-new-compulsory-veiling-law-intensifies-oppression-of-women-and-girls/ 
• Nelken-Zitser, J. (2022, Sep. 18). Women in Iran defy the Islamic regime by removing their headscarves and waving them in the air in protests over police custody death, video shows. Business Insider. https://www.businessinsider.com/iran-women-take-headscarves-off-protest-mahsa-amini-death-2022-9  
• RFE/RL’s Radio Farda. (2024, Sep. 15). ‘Women, Life, Freedom’: Iran’s protest movement magnifies defiance, camaraderie 2 years on. Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-women-life-freedom-protests-anniversary/33115966.html
• Rahimpour, R. (2022, Sep. 16). Fury in Iran as young woman dies following morality police arrest. BBC. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-62930425 
• Shah, D. (2019, May 24). Iran police arrest 30 at private yoga class. BBC. https://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-trending-48395711 
• Shahi, A. (2023, Sep. 15). Mahsa Amini: A year into the protest movement in Iran, this is what’s changed. The Conversation. https://theconversation.com/mahsa-amini-a-year-into-the-protest-movement-in-iran-this-is-whats-changed-212661
• Sinaiee, M. (2023, Oct. 28). Iran authorities silence media on teenage hijab victim’s death. Iran International. https://www.iranintl.com/en/202310285898 
• Strzyżyńska, W. (2022, Sep. 23). Mahsa Amini’s death could be the spark that ignites Iran around women’s rights. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2022/sep/23/mahsa-amini-death-could-be-spark-broader-political-action-iran 
• Strzyżyńska, W. (2022, Sep. 5). Iranian authorities plan to use facial recognition to enforce new hijab law. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2022/sep/05/iran-government-facial-recognition-technology-hijab-law-crackdown 
• Swash, R. (2022, Aug. 23). Arrests and TV confessions as Iran cracks down on women’s ‘improper’ clothing. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2022/aug/23/arrests-and-tv-confessions-as-iran-cracks-down-on-women-improper-clothing-hijab 
• Tayebi, A. (2022, Aug. 15). Iranian president signs decree further restricting how women can dress. Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-women-dress-restrictions-raisi/31989759.html

Other Resources

• H.R. Rep. No. 118-118. (2023). https://www.congress.gov/congressional-report/118th-congress/house-report/118/1
• Jabbari, D. (2022, Sep. 27). Iran protests: Mahsa Amini’s death [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/0F4miZPfHW0?si=C5j8x0HkqCJaj3JY
• Mahsa Amini Human Rights and Security Accountability Act, H.R. 589, 118th Cong. (2023). https://www.cbo.gov/publication/59121
• Middle East Eye. (2023, Sep. 19). Iran update one year later [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/xqsMoLfj2FI?si=X4WDu7yMP1d0hb7q
• My Stealthy Freedom
• PBS NewsHour. (2023, Sep. 16). What’s changed for women in Iran one year after Mahsa Amini’s death [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/bveERt1twQ0?si=04BPcC2pgB4yci-i