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Iran's women bikers take the road despite legal, social obstacles
Despite legal ambiguities over licensing and dress codes, hundreds of Iranian women have taken up motorcycling, reflecting shifting social attitudes since 2022, experts say.
- In recent months, women across Iran have increasingly taken to mopeds and motorbikes, with Maryam Ghelich reporting a sharp rise in enrolments at her Tehran training centre.
- The September 2022 death of Mahsa Amini helped accelerate women-led pushes, while Ghelich says growing family acceptance encourages more women to learn to ride.
- Government spokeswoman Fatemeh Mohajerani says authorities publicly maintain women can ride, but motorbike licensing remains a legal grey area and Teymour Hosseini, head of Iran's traffic police, warns officers lack authority to reinterpret the law.
- Everyday enforcement varies, leaving women fearful of stops or seizures, as Mona Nasehi said police once tried to stop her and Ghelich noted police now return seized motorcycles faster with `No reason to object`.
- Conservative critics have pushed back against women riding motorcycles, with Abdolhossein Khosropanah of the Supreme Council warning that `some ride motorcycles with no hijab, improper hijab, or poor covering... such behaviour is against Sharia law`.
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Iran's women bikers take the road despite legal, social obstacles
When she first started learning to ride a motorbike, Iranian Maryam Ghelich, now an instructor, would drive through Tehran's empty streets at night to avoid scrutiny over her clothing or lack of a licence.
·Missoula, United States
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Iran’s women bikers take to the streets despite legal hurdles
Tehran: A common sight in busy Iranian roads, women on motorcycles were a relative rarity in Iran, but this is quickly changing despite being a reality clouded with ambiguity in terms of official recognition. The increasing presence of women riding motorcycles in Iran attests to a gradual change of attitude in this Islamic nation. “Maryam Ghelich, an accredited motorcycle riding instructor, remembers learning to ride her motorbikes nearly a deca…
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Total News Sources38
Leaning Left2Leaning Right3Center14Last UpdatedBias Distribution74% Center
Bias Distribution
- 74% of the sources are Center
74% Center
C 74%
R 16%
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