Over 60 percent of the population in Iran is under 30 years old. The youth has shaped a new face of the country, often oppressed by hardliners inside Iran and overlooked by those who reduce a sophisticated layered society to its captivating contrasts.

By transition from a traditional lifestyle into a modern one, living alone has emerged as a phenomenon in the last decade. This lifestyle has first appertained to men, but now some women also decide to live independently. Despite the increasing number of women living alone, their way of life is still perceived as taboo and interpreted as an immoral deed. Politicians and clerics also consider it a threat to a nuclear family and implement policies to encourage youth to get married. Yet, 30 percent of youth in Iran's big cities live independently, and some 30 percent of them are women.

As a woman who faced the same restrictions and societal obstacles, I became interested in working on this new trend. Like many other women, I encountered irritating prejudices and troubles as well. Proving myself to landlords, being rejected, or dealing with prying neighbors are a few examples. There is no room for any mistakes when you are judged unfairly just by being a woman. Having met women with the same experiences helped me to get a better perspective. We talked and shared stories. Despite different characteristics and backgrounds, they had similar concerns, and above all, a common demand; to live as they please based on their choice and to never submit to norms dictated by the state, common law, and tradition.

Although many have turned a blind eye to these women, I portrayed them while no window blind concealed them. There is no shame to cover.