Iran formally allows women to ride motorcycles

TEHRAN - Women in Iran can now formally obtain a licence to ride a motorcycle, local media reported om Feb 4, ending years of legal ambiguity surrounding two-wheelers.

The law previously did not explicitly prohibit women from riding motorbikes and scooters, but in practice authorities refused to issue licences.

Due to the legal grey area, women have been held legally responsible for accidents even when victims.

Iran’s First Vice-President Mohammad Reza Aref signed a resolution on Feb 3 aimed at clarifying the traffic code, which was approved by Iran’s Cabinet in late January, the country’s Ilna news agency reported.

The resolution obliges traffic police to “provide practical training to female applicants, organise an exam under the direct supervision of the police, and issue motorcycle driver’s licences to women”, Ilna said.

The change follows a wave of protests across Iran that were

initially sparked by economic grievances

but which grew in January into nationwide anti-government demonstrations.

Tehran has acknowledged that more than 3,000 deaths occurred during the unrest, insisting that most were members of the security forces and bystanders.

Since Iran’s 1979 Islamic revolution, women have faced a number of societal restrictions, with dress codes posing a challenge for those riding motorcycles.

Women must cover their hair with a headscarf in public and wear modest, loose-fitting clothing, but in recent years many have defied those rules, with the number of women on motorbikes rising sharply in recent months.

This trend accelerated after the 2022

death in custody of Ms Mahsa Amini

, a young Iranian woman arrested for allegedly violating the dress code.

Her death sparked protests across Iran by women demanding greater freedoms. AFP