Islam, cigarettes and Botox — daily life of women in Iran

This is the life of the middle class, the life of women who are in the space between Islamic ideology and self-expression. Very talented works by Iranian photographer Nevshi Tavakolyan. She is the winner of the 2014 Carmignac Prize, which, however, she refused.

Source: LiveJournal Morning marathon.

Bita and her friend Shabnam at a plastic surgeon's office in Tehran.

Motivational conference on the topic of success.

The girl tries to look at a photo of a woman hidden under a white paper. According to Islamic laws of Iran, it is forbidden to show women's bodies in public.

Najieh and her sons at the parade celebrating the 35th anniversary of the Islamic Revolution in Freedom Square.

A young couple. Iran has one of the highest divorce rates in the world, and the courts are unable to handle numerous cases.

Portrait of Somayeh, a 32-year-old divorced teacher.

Ali, a war veteran, and his daughter Hadith on her eighth birthday. Ali fought on the fronts of the Iran-Iraq War for seven years, joining as a volunteer when he was 16. "My body came home," he says, "but my spirit stayed there."

Girls have a smoke break between lectures on campus.

Najieh is on a volunteer catering job at a school in a poor neighborhood of Tehran. She and her family, all members of which are very religious, often help the poor.

Photographer Nevsha Tavakolyan.