More women ride motorbikes in Tehran, testing Iran’s legal limits

In Tehran, 38-year-old café owner Merat Behnam rides her yellow motorbike through the capital’s gridlocked streets — something once unthinkable for women in Iran.

Despite facing legal restrictions, Merat and others are embracing two-wheel freedom in defiance of social norms.

Iranian law allows only men to obtain motorcycle licenses, yet more women are taking to the roads as traffic worsens and attitudes slowly change.

Reformists have called for the rule to be overturned, describing women’s riding as a symbol of independence and equality.