Shahla Sherkat (born March 30, 1956) is an Iranian journalist, publisher, author, feminist, women's rights activist. She is a prominent
Persian feminist author, and one of the pioneers of
Women's rights movement in Iran.
Biography
Sherkat was born in
Isfahan, Iran. She holds a bachelor's degree in
psychology
Psychology is the scientific study of mind and behavior. Psychology includes the study of conscious and unconscious phenomena, including feelings and thoughts. It is an academic discipline of immense scope, crossing the boundaries betwe ...
from
Tehran University
The University of Tehran (Tehran University or UT, fa, دانشگاه تهران) is the most prominent university located in Tehran, Iran. Based on its historical, socio-cultural, and political pedigree, as well as its research and teaching p ...
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 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 so that they could manage the household and raise children ...
and continually tested the political waters with its edgy coverage of everything from reform politics to domestic abuse to sex. ''Zanan'' had been the most important Iranian women's journal after the Iranian revolution. After Zanan magazine was banned after 16 years of publication, she opened
Zanan-e Emruz.
Sherkat has had to appear in court on several occasions when Zanan's content was considered by the Iranian government to be 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
The International Women's Media Foundation (IWMF), located in Washington, D.C., is an organization working internationally to elevate the status of women in the media. The IWMF has created programs to help women in the media develop practical so ...
)
See also
*
Women's rights movement in Iran
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