In September 2022, Jina Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old Kurdish-Iranian woman, died while in the custody of Iran’s Morality Police. She had been detained in Tehran for allegedly failing to comply with the country's strict mandatory hijab laws. Following her death, which sparked national outrage, a protest movement emerged under the slogan 'Woman, Life, Freedom.'

The protests represented one of the most significant challenges to the Iranian government in recent years, drawing participants from diverse backgrounds who demanded greater civil liberties and an end to state-enforced dress codes. While the Iranian authorities have historically maintained that Amini’s death was the result of underlying health conditions, activists and international human rights organizations have consistently characterized the event as a state-sanctioned killing caused by physical abuse during detention.

The movement gained global attention, leading to widespread international condemnation of the Iranian government's human rights record. Despite the intensity of the protests and the subsequent government crackdown, the legacy of the movement continues to influence discussions regarding women's rights and political reform within the region. The event remains a central point of reference for activists advocating for systemic change in Iran.