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 in the U.S. which cooperates with 20 partners in 20 countries, “teaching women how to gain independence, manage their lives and become leaders in their communities.”