The Word on Women-Cultural Barriers to Women as Peace Builders

Author : Amy S. Choi, TrustLaw

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…

In the New Tunisia, Women's Rights Are in Play

Author : Barbara Crossette, WeNews

While the status of women in Tunisia has historically been the highest in the Arab world, Mahnaz Afkhami emphasizes the need to ensure that women’s rights are upheld in the new government following the Arab Spring.  As stated in this piece in Women’s eNews, Mahnaz Afkhami “knows how tenuous women’s rights can be and how…

Reflections on Women’s Security in Iran

Author : Mahnaz Afkhami, Gozaar Forum on Human Rights and Democracy 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…

CNN's Amanpour: Panel Discussion with Activists on Women's Rights in the Middle East

Author : Christiane Amanpour, CNN

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…