The Other Side of Silence

“Afkhami’s complexities and passion make even the driest policy discussions captivating. The result is a thought-provoking addition to the international women’s rights shelf.”—Publishers Weekly

“For more than 50 years, Afkhami has been a voice against injustice, violence, and oppression. She became the first and only minister of women’s affairs in Iran and later helped develop the Foundation for Iranian Studies, which has played a significant role in scholarship about Iran. She has been a leading figure in the international women’s movement and offers a valuable perspective on women’s lives in the Global South and on the internal politics of various women’s organizations, such as the Women’s Learning Partnership, for which she serves as founder and president . . . . Recommended.”—CHOICE

“The publication of Mahnaz Afkhami’s memoir has turned out to be quite timely . . . . Afkhami is an engaging writer [whose memoir] illuminates an incredible depth of experience and offers an edifying example of the many complexities, constraints, and possibilities of local, regional, and transnational feminist organizing . . . . In looking back while remaining engaged and committed, Afkhami’s book is a valuable contribution to and account of both Iranian and transnational feminisms.” —Catherine Z. Sameh, The Middle East Journal

“Mahnaz Afkhami is part of a line of singularly independent women who make their own way in the world but also leave a mark and inspire others. Her compelling and gripping narrative seamlessly weaves memoir, political events, and the trajectory of second-wave feminism. This is an outstanding book.”—Valentine M. Moghadam, author of Modernizing Women: Gender and Social Change in the Middle East

“An honest and absorbing life story written with humor and passion. At this critical moment in history, Mahnaz Afkhami’s memoir offers a much-needed road map for creating a global women’s movement, based on five decades of experience working with women from around the world.”—Mary Robinson, former president of Ireland, former UN high commissioner on human rights, chair of the Council of Women World Leaders

“Mahnaz Afkhami has written a superb memoir about her life as a women’s rights leader in Iran before and during the revolution and then, in exile, as a voice for women throughout the Muslim world. Her extraordinary heroism and dignity shine on every page.”—Carl Gershman, founding president of the National Endowment for Democracy

“Drawing on her diaries over the last fifty years, Mahnaz Afkhami, a prominent and pioneering leader in the history of global feminism, reflects deeply and passionately on the struggle for women’s rights in Iran, America, and across the globe. This brilliantly vivid narrative will keep you turning the pages.”—Leila Ahmed, Harvard University