Iran bans women from featuring in ads after outrage over 'sexy' commercial

Ministry of Culture, Iran and Islamic Guidance has banned women from featuring in ads under the state's strict chastity rules after a "sexy" commercial featured a woman in a loose-fitting hijab biting a Magnum ice cream, 

The advertisement enraged Iranian clerics who urged officials to sue the local ice cream manufacturer Domino. Officials ruled that the advert went "against public decency" and was an "insult" to "women's values".

Iran's Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance penned a letter to the country's art and cinema schools, reportedly saying that as per "hijab and chastity rules", women are no longer allowed to feature in advertisements.

The ban is based on Iran's rules and regulations concerning commercial ads, which prohibit "instrumental use" of not only women but also children and men. The interpretation of "instrumental use" varies depending on how strict the ruling administration is at a given time.

Several women in the country have been protesting against the Islamic Republic's enforcement of wearing hijab in public under the Islamic revolution of 1979. 

As part of protest, many women removed their headscarves in public and on social media. Many have also risked arrest and public backlash by walking in public without their hijabs.

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