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.
Tag: United Nations
The Word on Women-Cultural Barriers to Women as Peace Builders
At a conference entitled “Breaking Barriers: What will it take to achieve security, justice, and peace,” Manhaz Afkhami highlighted the threat of fundamentalism to human rights, peace, and women’s rights. “The characteristics of fundamentalism – fear of rapid change, modernity, an individual’s place in society, science, evolution, and all of the ramifications of those new…
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.
Reflections on Women’s Security in Iran
The late Mhabub ul Haq, the founder of the UN Human Development Report, captured the essence of human security when he said, and I quote, “In the last analysis, human security means a child who did not die, a disease that did not spread, an ethnic tension that did not explode, a dissident who was…
Freedom Leads to Empowerment: Promoting Women's Leadership and Financial Independence
Women’s empowerment is a process. It involves raising consciousness, building skills and reforming unjust laws that limit women’s education, participation in decision making and economic independence. I.M.O.W. Global Council member Mahnaz Afkhami is president of Women’s Learning Partnership, which strives to empower women by practicing and promoting their leadership and self-sufficiency. The United Nation’s International…
At the Crossroads of Tradition & Modernity: Personal Reflection
I have spent most of my adult life defending and promoting women’s human rights. I came to this field through English literature, largely innocent of theories of feminism. By the time I encountered these theories formally in the 1970s as secretary general of the Women’s Organization of Iran (WOI), I had already experienced their essence…
A Woman in Exile
At the time of the revolution, Mahnaz was in New York negotiating the terms of the contract for the establishment of United Nations International Research and Training Institute for the Advancement of Women (INSTRAW) in Iran. The revolutionary government confiscated her house, her papers, her pictures, mementos—all signs of her personal history and her individual experience.…
Rethinking Women's Human Rights in the Middle East
I am privileged to speak here today, not only because it is an honor to be on the same forum with such distinguished colleagues, but also because of the issue that is the subject of the discussion. This, as I understand, is the first time that women’s human rights have been the subject of plenary…