Penned by Mahnaz Afkhami, this article concentrates on Reza Shah Pahlavi’s January 1936 decree on banning women from wearing veils. In her opinion, Reza Shah’s “courageous” decision was “a fundamental step in building a developed and civilized society based on freedom and equality of human beings.” It is no wonder that Rouhollah Khomeini considered unveiling…
Tag: Women’s Rights
The Emphasis Should be on a Just Society (in Persian)
“Women as leaders and decision makers” is the topic of this interview with Mahnaz Afkhami by Peace Mark Journal. She talks about the importance of women in key positions in society, stressing on their role as “pioneer leaders” while referring to all kinds of gender apartheid against women in Iran which has turned this country…
Last Female Minister: Khomeini Introduced the Sexual Apartheid, but Iranian Women Are Successfully Fighting Against It
In an interview with Croatian magazine, Tportal, Mahnaz Afkami speaks about the women who participated in the Arab Spring, progress made on women’s rights in Iran, and her broad knowledge of Iran and the Islamic world.
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…
Reader's Review: Woman at Point Zero by Nawal El Saadawi
Diane Rehm hosted Mahnaz Afkahmi on her radio show to discuss the book, Woman at Point Zero, by Nawal El Saadawi, a story of a woman in Egypt who is forced into prostitution and later arrested. Afkhami discusses the novel’s contribution to radical feminism in the region, women’s rights and the patriarchy, and the relevance…
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.
Iranian New Year 2013: Celebrate These Persian Women Who Have Fought For Equality
In honor of the Iranian New Year, Mic celebrates Mahnaz Afkhami and other Persian women who have fought for equality.
At the UN, Twenty Years of Backlash to ‘Women’s Rights Are Human Rights’
Since the seminal Cairo Conference in 1994, anti-feminist actors have pushed back against progress made in women’s rights on the global stage. In The Nation, Mahnaz Afkhami provides insights into the rise of fundamentalist, conservative, and populist movements that are fueling this backlash, and illuminates the role of American wars in the Middle East in…