A women's rights activist in Iran has said it is 'insulting' for Western visitors to wear the hijab in an attempt at solidarity.

Masih Alinejad, who has spearheaded Iranian women's struggle against the head covering, said female dignitaries from Europe had left her fellow campaigners 'on their own' by choosing to wear the hijab when they visited Iran.

Rejecting the argument that visitors should wear the hijab out of 'respect for the culture of Iran', she said they were 'sending a message that men are more equal than women'.

Ms Alinejad, the founder of the White Wednesdays movement which saw many women remove their headscarves in protest, said she was battling against a 'discriminatory law'.

The issue was thrown into fresh focus last month when New Zealand women including PM Jacinda Ardern wore the headscarf in the wake of the Christchurch terror attack.

The New Zealand women earned applause in some quarters but others voiced concern, saying it was not 'empowering' to wear the hijab.

Ms Alinejad said she admired Ms Ardern's 'compassion' for the Muslim community but said it 'broke her heart' to see her wearing the hijab.

It seems that feminists in the West have their heads firmly in the sand when it comes to the treatment of women under Islam.