The referendum rejects monarchy

Thousands demonstrated in Tehran after statements requiring hijab in government workplaces.

Participants insisted that those who had opposed the Shah should help define the freedoms and social order of post-revolutionary Iran.

The protests exposed tensions among Islamic, socialist, nationalist and feminist interpretations of emancipation.

Women workers, students and professionals organized meetings and marches despite harassment and political pressure.

Citizens were asked whether monarchy should be replaced by an Islamic Republic.

Some groups endorsed the new republic, while others criticized the yes-or-no format or called for a boycott.

Women's participation affirmed their visible role in the revolution and in deciding the formal structure of the new state.

After the referendum count, 1 April was declared the founding day of the Islamic Republic.

The result ended the hereditary political order and replaced it with a republic grounded in the revolution.

Supporters understood the new republic as a break with foreign domination, especially the political legacy of the 1953 coup.