The 58th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) was held in New York in March, 2014. Mahnaz Afkhami gave an overview of the conference to the Women’s Foreign Policy Group (WFPG), touching on key issues including pushback against the Beijing Declaration, women’s role in peacebuilding, and violence against women.
Tag: Women’s Learning Partnership
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”).
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…
Will Washington Push for Women’s Rights?
Despite hope and change in the Middle East following the Arab Spring, many remain cautious regarding progress on women’s rights in the region. In an article with political news journal, Al Majalla, Mahnaz Afkhami stresses the importance of movement building and collaboration between women’s rights activists at the grassroots level.
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…
Are Women Leaders Less Corrupt, No But They Shake Things Up
In an article on women’s participation in politics, Mahnaz Afkhami discusses her experience as Minister for Women’s Affairs in Iran. “‘There is a direct relationship between the level of democracy and the presentation of women in leadership and the quality of governance,’ said Afkhami.”
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.
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…