The Girls of Enghelab Street: The Silent Revolution That Shook Iran.
Provided by The Victims’ Families for Transitional Justice.
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It began with one woman: Vida Movahed.
Standing alone on a utility box on Enghelab (Revolution) Street in Tehran, the 31-year-old held her white scarf high tied on a stick like a revolutionary flag (notably white like the white flag of surrender). She did not chant. She did not raise her fists. She simply stood there, defiant in her silence for an hour until her arrest. It was striking in its simplicity: one woman, standing above the crowd, saying with her presence alone: Enough. On December 27, 2017, Movahed’s peaceful revolution shook the oppressive Iranian regime.
A Symbol of Defiance
The image of Movahed, her white hijab fluttering in the wind like a flag of resistance, spread rapidly over social media. It resonated with Iranian women who had spent their lives under the weight of mandatory hijab laws—laws that dictated what they could wear, where they could go, and how they could exist in public.
Within days, more followed her lead. One by one, women, some wearing hijab and others not, climbed onto benches, electrical boxes, and platforms on streets across Iran, raising headscarves on sticks. They became known as the "Girls of Enghelab Street"— a new generation of Iranian women refusing to be silenced. Among them were Narges Hosseini, Azam Jangravi, Shaparak Shajarizadeh, Maryam Shariatmadari, and Hamraz Sadeghi—women who risked everything for the simple right to choose. In a unique turn as well, men took to the streets copying the protests in solidarity.
Their protests encompassed women’s bodily autonomy, personal freedom, and the right to exist as equals in Iran. They were about reclaiming the streets that had long been dominated by fear and control.
Brutal Suppression
The Islamic Republic of Iran responded with predictable brutality. The Girls of Enghelab Street were arrested, beaten, and sentenced to lengthy prison terms. Some, like Shajarizadeh, faced relentless harassment and were forced into exile. Others, like Shariatmadari, were thrown off platforms by security forces, suffering severe injuries.
As the protests grew, the Iranian Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, belittled them. He claimed that "all their efforts resulted in a few girls being deceived and taking off their headscarves in some corners." He warned that the real danger lay in "some elites questioning compulsory hijab" rather than the women protesting it, completely dismissing their potent resistance.
Iranian security officials escalated their threats, warning that the charge against protesters would not be limited to "violating Islamic dress codes" but would also include encouraging “corruption on earth," a charge that carried sentences of up to ten years in prison.
The Echo of Their Courage
Despite the regime’s attempted suppression, the Girls of Enghelab Street’s fight was not erased. The world watched Iranian women risk everything, fighting for the right to control their bodies. Their silent revolution laid the groundwork for what would come five years later, the "Woman, Life, Freedom" uprising sparked by the murder of Jina (Mahsa) Amini in 2022. But it all started with Vida.
Standing alone.
White scarf lifted like a flag of hope.
Her quiet act of defiance became a battle cry for freedom.
Provided by The Victims’ Families for Transitional Justice.
Listen to this article here:
It began with one woman: Vida Movahed.
Standing alone on a utility box on Enghelab (Revolution) Street in Tehran, the 31-year-old held her white scarf high tied on a stick like a revolutionary flag (notably white like the white flag of surrender). She did not chant. She did not raise her fists. She simply stood there, defiant in her silence for an hour until her arrest. It was striking in its simplicity: one woman, standing above the crowd, saying with her presence alone: Enough. On December 27, 2017, Movahed’s peaceful revolution shook the oppressive Iranian regime.
A Symbol of Defiance
The image of Movahed, her white hijab fluttering in the wind like a flag of resistance, spread rapidly over social media. It resonated with Iranian women who had spent their lives under the weight of mandatory hijab laws—laws that dictated what they could wear, where they could go, and how they could exist in public.
Within days, more followed her lead. One by one, women, some wearing hijab and others not, climbed onto benches, electrical boxes, and platforms on streets across Iran, raising headscarves on sticks. They became known as the "Girls of Enghelab Street"— a new generation of Iranian women refusing to be silenced. Among them were Narges Hosseini, Azam Jangravi, Shaparak Shajarizadeh, Maryam Shariatmadari, and Hamraz Sadeghi—women who risked everything for the simple right to choose. In a unique turn as well, men took to the streets copying the protests in solidarity.
Their protests encompassed women’s bodily autonomy, personal freedom, and the right to exist as equals in Iran. They were about reclaiming the streets that had long been dominated by fear and control.
Brutal Suppression
The Islamic Republic of Iran responded with predictable brutality. The Girls of Enghelab Street were arrested, beaten, and sentenced to lengthy prison terms. Some, like Shajarizadeh, faced relentless harassment and were forced into exile. Others, like Shariatmadari, were thrown off platforms by security forces, suffering severe injuries.
As the protests grew, the Iranian Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, belittled them. He claimed that "all their efforts resulted in a few girls being deceived and taking off their headscarves in some corners." He warned that the real danger lay in "some elites questioning compulsory hijab" rather than the women protesting it, completely dismissing their potent resistance.
Iranian security officials escalated their threats, warning that the charge against protesters would not be limited to "violating Islamic dress codes" but would also include encouraging “corruption on earth," a charge that carried sentences of up to ten years in prison.
The Echo of Their Courage
Despite the regime’s attempted suppression, the Girls of Enghelab Street’s fight was not erased. The world watched Iranian women risk everything, fighting for the right to control their bodies. Their silent revolution laid the groundwork for what would come five years later, the "Woman, Life, Freedom" uprising sparked by the murder of Jina (Mahsa) Amini in 2022. But it all started with Vida.
Standing alone.
White scarf lifted like a flag of hope.
Her quiet act of defiance became a battle cry for freedom.