Iran formally allows women to ride motorcycles

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

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

Due to the 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 Tuesday 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 last month 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.

For Saina, a 33-year-old advertising agency employee who has been commuting to work by scooter for six months, the change to the traffic laws comes "too late" because "women have been riding motorcycles for months already."

"I don't think this is the main problem in our society," she told AFP, referring to the recent protests and Iran's economic challenges.

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

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

Agence France-Presse