Woman, Life, Freedom: A New Revolutionary Era in Iran
Join us on September 7 for an enlightening presentation by Dr. Nina Ansary, a distinguished scholar, author, and renowned expert on women’s rights and gender equality. Dr. Ansary’s extensive research and activism have positioned her as a leading figure in the movement to empower women in Iran.
This conversation is timely as we approach the one year anniversary of the brutal murder of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini who was detained, beaten, and placed in a coma by Iran’s morality police, the Gasht-e Ershad. This horrific event sparked an unprecedented wave of outrage and protests across the nation and the world.
In a courageous display of unity and resistance, women and girls across Iran and globally, continued to bravely stand up for freedom against the oppressive gender apartheid regime, the Islamic Republic. This heart wrenching event has underscored the urgent need for change, not only in the treatment of women but also in the overall respect for human rights and individual freedoms in Iran where women and girls continue to be arrested, raped, tortured, and imprisoned for advocating for their freedom and basic fundamental rights.
During the presentation, Dr. Ansary will delve into the significant challenges and oppressive regime faced by women in Iran, examining the social, cultural, and strict legal and religious regulations that they encounter on a daily basis. Her insights will shed light on the realities of their plight and the barriers they must overcome. Moreover, Dr. Ansary will highlight the crucial role that the global community, including international institutions, can play in supporting women in Iran and fighting against an tyrannical regime.
Here are a few highlights of human rights violations faced by women in Iran:
- Mandatory hijab law restricts women’s freedom of choice and expression, violating their autonomy and right to self-determination.
- Discriminatory laws contribute to gender inequality, including limitations on divorce rights, inheritance rights, and child custody.
- Women face obstacles in the workforce due to discriminatory practices, limited opportunities, and unequal pay.
- Violence against women, including domestic violence and honor killings, persists with inadequate legal protections and support systems.
- Women’s rights activists face harassment, arrests, and imprisonment for advocating gender equality and challenging discriminatory laws.
Program Information:
Date:
Thursday, September 7, 2023
Check-In and Pre-Lunch Networking:
11:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Lunch & Presentation:
12:00 p.m. – 1:30 p.m.
Location:
Charlotte City Club Directions to the parking garage (set your GPS to 116 W. 4th Street, Charlotte, NC 28202)
Parking is validated
Cost:
$50 (WACC Member Rate)
$65 (Non-Member Rate)
$35 (Young Professionals of the World Affairs Council of Charlotte — YPWACC)
$25 (WACC Student Member / WACC Educator Member)
- Please call 704-687-7762 for credit card payments over the phone.
- Checks can be mailed to “World Affairs Council of Charlotte, 9201 University City Blvd., CHHS 227, Charlotte, NC 28223.
Biography:
Dr. Nina Ansary is an award-winning Iranian-American author, historian, and women’s rights activist. She is the director of the World Affairs Councils of America (WACA) Global Women’s Lecture Series; the director of the Cambridge Middle East and North Africa Forum Women’s Leadership Initiative (WLI) at the University of Cambridge; and inaugural patron and former visiting fellow at the London School of Economics Centre for Women, Peace and Security.
Her books Anonymous Is a Woman: A Global Chronicle of Gender Inequality (Revela Press/2020) and Jewels of Allah: The Untold Story of Women in Iran (Revela Press/2015) received multiple awards, including the 2016 International Book Award in “Women’s Issues” (Jewels of Allah) and the 2021 Benjamin Franklin Book Award in “Interior Design” and “History” (Anonymous Is a Woman). All proceeds from her books have been donated to women and human rights organizations.
Nina is the recipient of the 2020 Columbia University Graduate School of Arts and Sciences Outstanding Alumni Award, the 2019 Ellis Island Medal of Honor, the 2018 Barnard College and Columbia University Trailblazer Award. She has appeared on CNN International, Fox News, Larry King, the Today Show, the BBC, and Sky News and been featured in Time, Newsweek, Maria Shriver’s The Sunday Paper, The Los Angeles Times, and Teen Vogue.
She has presented her work on women’s rights at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace; the Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace and Security; the London School of Economics; the UN Social Good and Girl Up Leadership Summits; and at Columbia, Harvard, Oxford, and Cambridge universities.
She holds a master of arts in Middle Eastern, South Asian and African Studies and a doctorate in history from Columbia University. She serves on the international advisory board of the Cambridge Middle East and North Africa Forum (MENAF), a think-tank based at the University of Cambridge; the board of trustees of the Iranian American Women Foundation (IAWF); and the board of directors of My Stealthy Freedom (MSF), an independent, nonpartisan, non profit organization dedicated to the promotion of Iranian women’s actions to secure their rights.
She can be found on Twitter @drninaansary | Instagram @ninaansary | Facebook facebook.com/ninaansary