Fatema Mernissi, the Moroccan sociologist widely known as a pioneer in Middle Eastern Women’s studies, passed away this week. It is difficult for me to speak of her – a friend, ally, and colleague of over two decades – in the past tense. I first met Fatema at the Middle East Studies Association Conference in…
Tag: Middle East
EPOCA Interview: Mahnaz Afkhami on How the Struggle for More Rights in Iran Has Yielded Gains
In an interview with Brazilian magazine, EPOCA, Mahnaz Afkhami speaks about Ghoncheh Ghavami in Tehran, who was arrested for trying to watch a volleyball game as a woman. The interview addresses Afkhami’s prominent role as a women’s rights activist living in exile. “In the episode of the game of volleyball, Afkhami believes the incessant media…
America Abroad: Women's Rights After the Arab Spring
WNYC New York Public Radio News interviewed Mahnaz Afkhami on the status of women’s rights in the Middle East since uprisings began in 2011. Speaking on the Arab Spring, Afkhami stated: “It has been a revolution for men and women, and in a sense has been a chance for women to bring their revolution to…
Sverige Radio P-1 Morgon: Cold Water Poured on Hopes of Equality After Arab Spring (in Swedish & English)
Swedish Radio P-1 hosted a panel discussion on women’s rights after the Arab Spring. The panel consisted of Mahnaz Afkhami alongside Eva Zillen (Woman to Woman), Asma Khader (member of Jordanian Parliament and CEO of Solidarity is Global Institute/Jordan), and Catherine Harrington (producer of the WLP documentary “Because Our Cause is Just”).
Islam belongs in People's Lives, Not in Politics, says Karima Bennoune
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…
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…
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…
The Word on Women: MENA region tops agenda at AWID global women's rights forum
The 12th International Forum of the Association for Women’s Rights in Development took place in Istanbul in October, 2012, where Mahnaz Afkhami spoke on conservative religion, political regimes, and women’s rights in the MENA region.