This article, penned by Mahnaz Afkhami, addresses the activities of Women’s Organization of Iran before the 1979 Revolution. Afkhami, who was the Secretary General of this non-profit organization, elaborates on its activities in early 1970s. The main focus of those activities – undertaken by women volunteers in 400 branches of this organization nationwide – was…
Category: In the News
What Will Uprisings Mean For Women's Rights In The Arab World?
NPR News speaks with Mahnaz Afkhami and Lina Abou-Habib on the role of women in the pro-democracy uprisings of the Arab Spring. Afkhami speaks about democracy-building, family laws, and making space for inclusive civil society.
Suicide of Iran Shah's son, Alireza Pahlavi, caps life of sorrow in exile
Mahnaz Afhami speaks to Christian Science Monitor regarding the suicide of Alireza Pahlevi, the youngest son of the late shah of Iran. Like Afkhami, Pahlevi was living in exile in the US and was deeply affected by the Iranian revolution. Afhami states: “It’s a matter of loss of identity, loss of connections.. And all the…
KQED Interview: Women in the Middle East
Mahnaz Afkhami speaks to KQED Public Radio on the revolutionary role of women in the Middle East. She is joined by Isobel Coleman, senior fellow for US foreign policy at the Council on Foreing Relations, and Ayaan Hirsi Ali, author of books including “Infidel” and “The Caged Virgin.”
CNN's Amanpour: Panel Discussion with Activists on Women's Rights in the Middle East
For International Women’s Day, Mahnaz Afkhami is interviewed by CNN’s Christiane Amanpour on a panel of women’s rights activists. Afkhami discusses the importance of including women in political positions, the progress made in the Middle East, and hope for the future. Afkhami states: “There are many, many more women in power, in politics, in high-value…
BBC Persian TV Hard Talk [Be Ebarate Digar]: An Interview with Mahnaz Afkhami
BBC Persian TV’s Enayat Fani interviews Mahnaz Afkhami who looks back on the advancing of women’s rights in Iran, elaborating on the Family Protection Law. “Iran’s Family Protection Law which was ratified some forty years ago is still far ahead of the laws of other Middle Eastern countries,” says Afkhami, adding that the first thing…
Female Scholars in Exile Form Legion of Longing
Mahnaz Afkhami talks to Women’s e-News about life in exile, finding solidarity with other women in her 1994 book, “Women in Exile”, and building a new home in the US. “Exile, Afkhami says, imposes an inevitable wresting with the identity question: ‘Who am I?’”
Iranian Women Campaign To End Discriminatory Laws Against Them
VOA News interviews Mahnaz Afkhami on Iran’s One Million Signatures Campaign, which seeks to change discriminatory laws against women. “Afkhami says the activists and their followers are extremely resilient, courageous, and inventive. ‘The reason the world heard so much about what was happening in Iran during the election is because of the sophisticated use of…