In Tehran, Iran women are taking to the streets on motorbikes and scooters signaling a subtle shift in social attitudes.
Maryam Ghelich once a lone female rider navigating empty streets at night to avoid scrutiny is now a certified instructor. Over the past 15 years she has trained hundreds of women helping them tackle the city’s gridlocked streets and the cultural barriers facing female motorcyclists.
“This sport was long considered only for men,” Ghelich told AFP highlighting the recent surge in women enrolling in her lessons whether for city riding or racing. Families are increasingly accepting female riders and women in colourful helmets are becoming a common sight across Iran.
Yet licensing remains a legal grey area. While traffic laws do not explicitly bar women from riding authorities have never issued motorcycle licences for women leaving them legally vulnerable in accidents. Some ultraconservative voices continue to cite Sharia and dress codes as reasons to oppose women riding.
Despite the obstacles women riders are undeterred. Ghelich says restrictions have eased over time and even when police stop riders bikes are usually returned without penalties. The movement gained momentum after Mahsa Amini’s death in 2022 with women increasingly challenging social boundaries.
Riders like Mona Nasehi and Nayereh Chitsazian say that with registered and insured motorcycles there is no real reason for authorities to intervene and women are boldly claiming their place on the streets.
