At SWF:

• Wednesday, October 28th, 7:30 - 10:00PM, The Universal Declaration of Human Rights: 50 Years Later
• Sunday, November 1st, 12:30 - 2:00PM, Investing in Women

RT: Thursday, October 29th, Human Needs/Human Rights: The Evolving Relationship between People, Social Policy and the Law

RT: Friday, October 30th, Claiming a Place at the Table: Women and Human Rights

Biography:

Mahnaz Afkhami is a seasoned Iranian women's rights advocate. She served as Minister of State for Women's Affairs prior to the Islamic Revolution and thereafter became involved in women's issues as a Professor at the National University of Iran and within various Non-Governmental Organisations.

Afkhami's experiences have been diverse. At home Afkhami founded the Association of Iranian University Women and has served a number of other domestic women's NGOs. At the international level she has headed Iranian delegations to many international and United Nations conferences on women. Afkhami is now President of the Sisterhood Is Global Institute (SIGI) and Executive Director of Foundation for Iranian Studies. She also helped to establish both the Asian and Pacific Centre for Women and Development, and the International Research and Training Institute for the Advancement of Women (INSTRAW).

An acknowledged authority on women and Muslim societies, Afkhami has been widely published in this area.

Links:

SIGI
Afkhami biography