A Tribute to the Brave Women of Iran

A Tribute to the Brave Women of Iran

#WomanLifeFreedom

(You can find the recording of the event here)

The death of Mahsa Amini shocked the world, but Iranian women have, for decades, been brutally oppressed, discriminated against, and harassed by the totalitarian and theocratic, Islamic Regime.

#EmbraceEquity, the theme of International Women’s Day, 2023, speaks not only to this struggle, but also to the hope for the future. All4Iran would like to pay tribute to the brave women in Iran who continue to fight for their human rights.

We are proud to invite you to attend a virtual panel discussion focusing on women's rights and gender equity in Iran.

Panelists:

Nazanin Afshin Jam - Iranian Canadian Human Rights Activist

Azam Jangvari - Human Rights Advocate

Jenna Sudds - Member of Parliament for Kanata-Carleton, Ontario

Najmeh Tansaz - Professional Boxer and Actress

Anita Vandenbeld - Member of Parliament for Ottawa West-Nepean, Ontario

Moderated by: Mehrak Hazaveh - Lawyer and Human Rights Activist

Topics of discussion include:

• The challenges and struggles that Iranian women face due to discriminatory laws and cultural beliefs intended to marginalize, dehumanize, and control.
• The capacity of the international community to promote women’s rights organizations in Iran.
• Maintaining support for the Woman, Life, Freedom movement.
• The Canadian government - its support, or lack of support, of the women’s rights activists and human rights defenders in Iran.
• Platforms for women rights activists to articulate their demands for change, unite around shared goals, and bolster advocacy efforts.

Nazanin Afshin-Jam MacKay

Nazanin Afshin-Jam is an Iranian Canadian human rights activist, public speaker, and entertainer.

She is the President and co-founder of, Stop Child Executions, and the founder of both The Nazanin Foundation, and The Iranian Justice Collective.

In November 2008, Afshin-Jam received the Global Citizenship Award, from the University of British Columbia's Alumni Association.

In 2009, she received the Emerging Leader Peacemaker Award from the YMCA's Power of Peace Awards. Afshin-Jam also chaired the first annual Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy.

In 2012, Afshin-Jam received the Queen's Diamond Jubilee Medal. In 2016, she was conferred an honourary degree, Doctor of Laws, from the University of Western Ontario.

Azam Jangravi

Azam Jangravi is an Iranian women’s rights advocate.

She graduated in Computer Engineering from the University of Tehran and completed a Master's Degree in Artificial Intelligence at Ivanki University in Iran.

She worked as an IT director and public relations director at the Iranian Institute for Women's Studies and Research.

Jangravi is one of “The Girls of Enghelab street” during the Iranian protests against compulsory hijab. She protested the mandatory hijab in Enqelab Street by removing her scarf on top of an electricity transformer box and waving it above her head.

Azam was arrested by Islamic Republic Regime in 2018 and was released later temporarily on bail .She fled Iran with her daughter, and they have lived in Canada since 2019.

Azam has obtained a paralegal and international law certificate and is working as a cybersecurity analyst and digital security trainer, and an active human rights advocate.

Jenna Sudds

Jenna Sudds was elected as a Member of Parliament for Kanata-Carlton in 2021. 

In 2013, Ms. Sudds became the founding President and Executive Director of the newly formed Kanata North Business Association. After four years of supporting Kanata businesses, she became the Executive Director of the CIO Strategy Council, a national technology council.

In 2015, Jenna was named one of "40  under 40" who would lead Ottawa into the future by the Ottawa Business Journal and Ottawa Chamber of Commerce. Two years later, Jenna was named one of the world's "Top 40 under 40" International Economic Development Professionals.

Jenna has sponsored Rozhin Yousefzadeh who was sentenced to 5 years in prison for participating in protest

Najme Tansaz

Najme Tansaz is an Iranian Canadian professional boxer, a certified boxing coach from the Boxing Ontario Academy, an athlete, and a personal trainer. She is also an actress, having been in several films and the director of a short film.

Tansaz coaches at MJKO, a youth charity, focused on using boxing for social change.

During Covid, she organized a free, sports social gathering for Iranian newcomers.

Her political activities include organizing a running for freedom event, giving speeches, and doing interviews with news programs about the Iranian Revolution.

Anita Vandenbeld

Anita Vandenbeld has been the Liberal Member of Parliament for Ottawa West-Nepean since 2015. She has served as Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of National Defence (2019-2021) and as Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of International Development since 2021. Anita was chair of the Subcommittee on International Human Rights, the Special Committee on Pay Equity, the Parliamentary Women’s Caucus and is founding chair of the all-party Democracy caucus.

Anita worked for over a decade in international democratic development in over 20 countries. She is a recipient of the Canadian Peacekeeping Service Medal for her work in Kosovo.

Anita is a contributing author to the ‘Oxford Handbook on Transnational Feminist Movements’ and ‘Turning Parliament Inside Out’. She has founded the Women Legislators in Defence, Security and Peace portfolios global network.

Anita is a sponsor of Maryam Balalpour, an Iranian political prisoner.