Honoring Outstanding Iranian Women

On our show today, we will get to know several outstanding Iranian women who rose above societal pressures, challenged social norms, and contributed their gifts and talents to make their country and the world a better place.

Kimia Alizadeh, nicknamed “The Tsunami,” is the first female Iranian Olympic medalist in Taekwondo.

Maryam Amid-Semnani, Iran’s first female journalist, was born and raised in the Qajar era of the early 20th century in north-central Iran. Ms. Amid-Semnani, a member of Anjoman Hemmat Khavatin, the Society for the Efforts of Women, set up two branches of a school for girls named Mazineyeh, offering subjects like foreign languages, geography, mathematics, and writing. She worked hard to educate parents on the importance of helping girls complete their education as well. That’s not all, Ms. Amid-Semnani launched the largest Iranian women’s Magazine, Shokufeh, which means Blossom. Dedicated to promoting women’s rights, she wrote and edited content for the magazine, often highlighting the lives of diverse women outside of Iran.

Let’s meet the beautiful Shahla Riahi who is considered the first female film director of Iranian Cinema with over 60 years of working in theater, movies, radio and television.

Maryam Kazemzadeh was the first and perhaps the only Iranian woman photographer sent to western Iran as a photojournalist by the Islamic Revolution Newspaper in 1980. On account of her bravery and tireless efforts, one can see murals in Tehran dedicated to her commitment and work for her country.

Dr. Alenush Terian, the Mother of Modern Iranian Astronomy, was an accomplished Iranian-Armenian astronomer and physicist. Besides launching the first solar telescope in Iran, she is recognized as the first person in the country to offer courses in solar physics and astrophysics.

Dr. Maryam Mirzakhani is the first woman to win the prestigious Fields Medal in mathematics. She was featured in the 2020 documentary film “Secrets of the Surface: The Mathematical Vision of Maryam Mirzakhani.”

Lady Amin, the great Muslim mystic of the 20th century, is a symbol of female religious authority in Iran. On top of that, she was an author of numerous books on Islamic sciences.