Iran’s regime is ramping up repression of girls in universities

By Shamsi Saadati

 According to multiple reports, authorities in Tehran’s Amirkabir University of Technology have security forces to control female students and ensure they abide by the regime’s dress codes.

Reports indicate that at the same time, the university’s security guards are harassing girls under different excuses and claiming that they are violating hijab and dress rules.

Such behavior has not only been seen at the entrance of the university, but security forces are also patrolling the campus area and stopping students who are not observing the regime’s dress code. Students say that these measures have increased since Ebrahim Raisi became the regime’s president.

After a pause in in-person school attendance, the regime has started ratcheting up repressive measures in universities as students return to campuses.

In response to the reports, authorities at Amirkabir University said they are just following the orders of their higher ups.

One student said, “A security guard at the entrance of the university stopped me and told me to open my coat to see what I was wearing underneath. Her excuse was that I would take off my coat when I go inside the university and she wanted to make sure that my clothes were appropriate. In her opinion, the dress I was wearing under my coat was too short. At first, she prevented me from entering the university. After much discussion, fearing protests by students, the guards allowed me to enter the university but instructed me not to take off my coat.”

Another student said, “The front of my hair was short and my head scarf couldn’t hold them. The university guard stopped me and prevented me from entering the university and said my hair is not appropriate and it must be covered. After explaining that my hair was short, she said, ‘Let me help you,” and stuffed her hand in my hair and pushed them under the scarf.”

Another student said, “Usually, they check our cards at the university’s entrance. But today, a woman who was sitting in the security kiosk said, ‘All ladies come and show your cards here.’ She asked me, ‘Are you wearing socks?’ and I said yes. She said, ‘Your socks are too short.’ This is while no one could see my ankles even if they looked hard. And then she said my sleeves were too short. After arguing some more, she said that my clothes are not appropriate for the university, took my card, wrote down my ID, and told me to never show up again with such clothing.”

The regime’s new measures have sparked outrage among Iranian students. They are part of the regime’s increased suppressive measures against women.

In March, the regime’s security forces attacked women who had bought tickets for a soccer match in Mashhad. The security forces used tear gas and pepper spray to prevent the soccer fans to enter the Imam Reza Stadium.

These measures are a reflection of the regime’s fear of the role of women in leading anti-regime efforts inside Iran. As the prime victims of the regime’s misogynistic ideology and policies, women have become a force of change inside the country, organizing protest movements and standing up against the regime’s repression.

Recently, Hassan Karami, the commander of the State Security Forces Special Units reported that the SSF had expanded its “special operations units” for the repression of women.

“A few years ago, the women’s unit was launched. In February 2022, the first ‘female battalion’ became operational. They received their gear and fatigues and were even present in some of the unrests and carried out missions,” the state-run Entekhab newspaper quoted Karami as saying on April 22.

“The women at the special units are taking on missions alongside the men’s special units. Their main mission is reconnaissance, psychological warfare, and arrests,” Karami added.