Mahsa Amini’s Protests in Iran: Regional Implications and Way Forward

Abstract

For decades, Iranian women have endured systemic oppression under strict laws curtailing their fundamental rights. The mandatory hijab, implemented in 1979, became a stark symbol of this subjugation, leading to countless instances of violence perpetrated by the "morality police" against those deemed non-compliant. Mahsa Amini's death in September 2022, a young Kurdish woman killed for a glimpse of uncovered hair, ignited a nationwide uprising. This paper delves into the regional ramifications of these historic protests, employing qualitative research methods to analyze their geopolitical and socio-economic consequences. It explores how the outpouring of anger and the calls for freedom have reverberated across neighboring countries, reshaping diplomatic relations and potentially paving the way for social transformation within Iran.