Featured Exhibits
Discover the life and work of Mahnaz Afkhami.
Mahnaz Afkhami was born Mahnaz Ebrahimi in 1941 in Kerman, Iran where she lived with her mother, Ferdows, her father, Majid, and her two younger siblings, Hamid and Farah. After her parent's divorce, Afkhami moved to the United States to live with her mother. While in the United States, Afkhami met and married Gholam Afkhami.
Explore the Early Life Exhibit.
After moving back to Iran, Afkhami began work as a professor of literature at the National University of Iran. In 1970, at the direction of Princess Ashraf, Afkhami was asked to serve as the secretary general of the Women's Organization of Iran (WOI).
Explore the Women's Organization of Iran Exhibit.
On December 31, 1975, the last day of International Women's Year, Afkhami was appointed to the position of Minister of Women's Affairs. She became the second woman in the world to hold such a position, after Françoise Giroud in France.
Explore the Minister for Women's Affairs Exhibit.
Early in the morning on November 27, 1978, Afkhami was woken by a phone call from her husband, Gholam. Gholam had called to tell her the queen, Farah Pahlavi, implied to him that Mahnaz should stay in the United States and not return to Iran as she may be targeted by the revolutionaries due to her position as Minister for Women's Affairs and her work for women's rights. Afkhami was charged in absentia with "Corruption on Earth and Warring with God", and has lived in exile in the United States since.
Explore the Revolution and Exile Exhibit.
During her exile, Afkhami established the Foundation for Iranian Studies. FIS was established in 1981 as a research institute for objective research by scholars from a variety of backgrounds and a safe keep for Iranian culture and heritage.
Explore the Foundation for Iranian Studies Exhibit.
In 2000, Afkhami, with five other women leaders, civil rights leader and founders of the Children's Defense Fund Marian Wright Edelman, academic and NGO leader involved in Brazil's political transition to democracy Jacqueline Pitanguy, Ethiopian activist and founding member of the Association of African Women for Research and Development Zenebeworke Tadesse, cofounder of the Foundation for Human Security in Pakistan Khadija Haq, and future founder of Kudirat Initiative for Nigerian Democracy Hafsat Abiola, officially founded WLP.
Explore the Women's Learning Partnership Exhibit.