Shahla Sherkat (born March 30, 1956) is an
Iranian
Iranian () may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to Iran
** Iranian diaspora, Iranians living outside Iran
** Iranian architecture, architecture of Iran and parts of the rest of West Asia
** Iranian cuisine, cooking traditions and practic ...
journalist, publisher, author, feminist, and women's rights activist. She is a prominent
Persian
Persian may refer to:
* People and things from Iran, historically called ''Persia'' in the English language
** Persians, the majority ethnic group in Iran, not to be conflated with the Iranic peoples
** Persian language, an Iranian language of the ...
feminist
Feminism is a range of socio-political movements and ideology, ideologies that aim to define and establish the political, economic, personal, and social gender equality, equality of the sexes. Feminism holds the position that modern soci ...
author and one of the pioneers of
Women's rights movement in Iran
The Iranian Women's Rights Movement (Persian language, Persian: جنبش زنان ایران), is the social movement for women's rights of the women in Iran. The movement first emerged after the Iranian Constitutional Revolution in 1910, the y ...
.
Biography
Sherkat was born in
Isfahan
Isfahan or Esfahan ( ) is a city in the Central District (Isfahan County), Central District of Isfahan County, Isfahan province, Iran. It is the capital of the province, the county, and the district. It is located south of Tehran. The city ...
, Iran. She holds a bachelor's degree in
psychology
Psychology is the scientific study of mind and behavior. Its subject matter includes the behavior of humans and nonhumans, both consciousness, conscious and Unconscious mind, unconscious phenomena, and mental processes such as thoughts, feel ...
from
Tehran University
The University of Tehran (UT) or Tehran University (, ) is a public collegiate university in Iran, and the oldest and most prominent Iranian university located in Tehran. Based on its historical, socio-cultural, and political pedigree, as well as ...
and a certificate in journalism from Keyhan Institute, also in Tehran. Since 2002, she has been working towards her master's degree in women's studies from Allameh Tabatabai University.
Shahla Sherkat is the founder and publisher of ''
Zanan magazine'' (English:"women"), which focuses on the concerns of
Iranian women
Throughout history, women in Iran have played numerous roles, and contributed in many ways, to Iranian society. Historically, tradition maintained that women be confined to their homes to manage the household and raise children. During the P ...
and continually tests the political waters with its edgy coverage of everything from reform politics to domestic abuse to sex. ''Zanan'' was the most important Iranian women's journal after the revolution. After Zanan magazine was banned after 16 years of publication, she opened
Zanan-e Emruz.
Sherkat had had to appear in court on several occasions when the Iranian government considered Zanan's content pushing boundaries too far.
In 2001, she was sentenced to four months in prison for attending a
conference in Berlin at which the future of politics in Iran was discussed following the success of reformist candidates in a parliamentary election.
Honours and awards
* 2005 Louis Lyons Award, The Nieman Foundation for Journalism at Harvard University
* 2005 The Courage in Journalism Award from the International Women's Media Foundation (
IWMF)
See also
*
Women's rights movement in Iran
The Iranian Women's Rights Movement (Persian language, Persian: جنبش زنان ایران), is the social movement for women's rights of the women in Iran. The movement first emerged after the Iranian Constitutional Revolution in 1910, the y ...
References
Shahla Sherkat, Iran International Women's Media Foundation
External links
* Farideh Farhi, ''The Attempted Silencing of Zanan'', Informed Comment: Global Affairs, Friday, February 1, 2008
* Amal Hamada, ''Zanan: An Iranian Reformist Women's Magazine'', IslamOnline, Tuesday, February 17, 2004
* ''Zanān'' (Women) Magazine
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sherkat, Shahla
Magazine publishers (people)
Writers from Isfahan
Iranian journalists
Iranian women writers
Iranian women's rights activists
Iranian feminists
Iranian democracy activists
1956 births
Living people
Proponents of Islamic feminism