This restrictive law could now be extended to all unmarried women under the age of 40. Until now only unmarried women under the age of 18 have required male permission to obtain a passport.
Payvand reported Nobel Peace laureate Shirin Ebadi said: “Feminist movements have become very large, very active in Iran. Women are fighting for equal rights. Equal rights are the first pillar of democracy. So the government is using different ways to create restrictions for women.”
Women are already obliged to follow the Islamic dress code and suffer harassment if they fail to abide by it. Recently women’s rights to attend university were restricted. The Telegraph reported that the number of university courses available to women was limited as they were excluded from a number of disciplines. Senior clerics became concerned about the rise in education standards for women and their demands for more rights.