Defying Tradition, Iranian Women Ride Motorbikes In Tehran Amid Shifting Social Attitudes

In a scene once unthinkable in Iran, women are increasingly seen navigating Tehran’s congested streets on motorbikes—an act long prohibited by regulation and tradition. Among them is 38-year-old café owner Merat Behnam, whose decision to ride her yellow scooter to work has become more than just a personal convenience. It represents a broader and deeply symbolic shift in women’s independence and public self-expression in an environment still dominated by conservative religious norms.

For decades, Iranian regulations and social expectations have barred women from riding motorcycles. Official traffic laws specify that only “mardan” (men) are eligible to obtain a motorbike license, a clause reflecting gender bias in an otherwise gender-neutral language. Authorities such as Tehran’s traffic police chief, Gen. Abulfazl Mousavipoor, have reiterated that women riding without licenses are committing a crime, not a mere infraction. The restriction, they argue, is rooted in preserving modesty. Hard-line clerics dismiss women motorcyclists as engaging in “tabarruj,” or excessive display of beauty—a concept prohibited by conservative interpretations of Islam.

Yet, reality on the ground tells a different story. Tehran’s gridlocked streets, filled with over eight million vehicles, have made motorbiking a practical necessity. The growing number of women riders, while still small, reflects not a political movement but a pragmatic response to urban pressures, rising fuel costs, and congestion charges that heavily burden car owners. “There’s no political agenda,” Behnam said. “It’s just that driving a scooter makes commuting to my café easier and quicker.”

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The shift also reflects broader cultural undercurrents following Iran’s 2022 protests after Mahsa Amini’s death, which challenged the mandatory hijab law and expanded conversations about female agency and public life. Despite ongoing enforcement crackdowns, many Iranian women—particularly in urban areas—are quietly redefining boundaries once considered untouchable. Reformists aligned with President Masoud Pezeshkian’s administration have even hinted at revisiting motorbike licensing policies, calling them outdated and discriminatory.

Public sentiment too appears to be evolving. Women like Behnam report receiving support, or at least tolerance, from both motorists and police. “For the first time, a traffic officer made me feel encouraged and safer,” she said. “Even the warnings I received were technical, not because I was a woman.” Commentator pieces in reformist publications such as Shargh describe women riders as symbols of choice and autonomy, embodying a push against “invisible walls of cultural judgment.” Whether or not laws officially change, the growing visibility of female motorcyclists is already reshaping the social fabric of Tehran—one ride at a time.

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