In her book, Your Fatwa Does Not Apply Here, UN Special Rapporteur Karima Benoune criticizes Muslim fundamentalism from a human rights perspective. The Guardian addresses this controversial topic, drawing on the viewpoints of myriad activists including Mahnaz Afkhami. “Mahnaz Afkhami, an Iranian women’s rights activist, says: ‘If you’re in the army, the general is always…
Author: mahnazafkhami
Last Female Minister: Khomeini Introduced the Sexual Apartheid, but Iranian Women Are Successfully Fighting Against It
In an interview with Croatian magazine, Tportal, Mahnaz Afkami speaks about the women who participated in the Arab Spring, progress made on women’s rights in Iran, and her broad knowledge of Iran and the Islamic world.
Vibrant Networking Keeps the Door Open for Arab Women
Women in Egypt played an instrumental role in the political uprising and fight for democracy during the Arab Spring. This article highlights the influence and solidarity of women’s networks across the region. “Mahnaz Afkhami, the Iranian-American founder and president of the Women’s Learning Partnership, has a network of contacts in Egypt now following constitutional developments…
Reader's Review: Woman at Point Zero by Nawal El Saadawi
Diane Rehm hosted Mahnaz Afkahmi on her radio show to discuss the book, Woman at Point Zero, by Nawal El Saadawi, a story of a woman in Egypt who is forced into prostitution and later arrested. Afkhami discusses the novel’s contribution to radical feminism in the region, women’s rights and the patriarchy, and the relevance…
Will Washington Push for Women’s Rights?
Despite hope and change in the Middle East following the Arab Spring, many remain cautious regarding progress on women’s rights in the region. In an article with political news journal, Al Majalla, Mahnaz Afkhami stresses the importance of movement building and collaboration between women’s rights activists at the grassroots level.
Radio Pooya Interview with Mahnaz Afkhami (In Persian)
At this interview conducted by Iranian novelist Shahrnush Parsipur, Mahnaz Afkhami recounts her life story, starting from the time she taught English literature at the National University of Iran, trying to “help create a cohesive community of female students who could face the modern world” to the time when she set up Women’s Learning Partnership…
VOA Extended Profile: Historical Context for The Women's Movement in Iran, and the life and work of Mahnaz Afkhami
The half hour video produced by VOA provides the historical context for the women’s movement in Iran, focusing on the life and work of Mahnaz Afkhami. The biopic covers her ten-year tenure as the Secretary General of the Women’s Organization of Iran and her three years in the Iranian cabinet as the first Minister of…
Iranian New Year 2013: Celebrate These Persian Women Who Have Fought For Equality
In honor of the Iranian New Year, Mic celebrates Mahnaz Afkhami and other Persian women who have fought for equality.