JUDGE MARZIA BABAH KARKHIL

Judge Marzia Babah Karkhil (Afghanistan) has a Bachelor’s degree in Theology and is a graduate of Judicial Law of the Supreme Court of Afghanistan. She is the former President of the Civil and Public Law Court at Pol-e-Khomri – Baghlan and founder of Afghanistan Women’s Social Cultural Organisation, and Gohar Khatun and Manouchehri Schools in Peshawar, Pakistan (2001-2008). Since migrating to Great Britain in 2015, she has been active as a public speaker and is currently a social rights activist. She was chosen as Woman of the Year for Asylum-seekers and migrants’ Rights.

DR. AZADEH KIAN

Dr. Azadeh KIAN is a Professor of sociology, director of the Centre for Teaching, Documentation and Research in Women’s Studies (CEDREF) and Director of Les Cahiers du CEDREF journal. She is also the co-director of the Master’s degree in Gender & Social & Political Change: Transnational Perspectives and a researcher at the LCSP at the University of Paris. Among her most recent publications: Women and Power in Islam, Paris, Michalon, 2019.

KHALIL ROSTAMKHANI

Khalil Rostamkhani is an Iranian writer, translator, researcher, and editor; honorary member of the US PEN, PEN Canada & a fellow-traveller of PEN Germany; and human rights defender. His published works include among others: 12 books translated into Persian or English, editor of 8 anthologies in Persian/ English; selections of poetry (English/German); a story and a selection of Prison Letters (German); author of numerous research papers, pamphlets and articles in English and Persian; translated pamphlets and articles; editor of several journals – Persian/ English.

DR. MUBORAK SHARIPOVA

Dr. Muborak Sharipova is a peace activist and analyst in Post-Soviet socio-political, historical & cultural matters. She is the co-founder of OPEN ASIA & has worked in Africa & Asia. She has authored scientific articles and carried out sociological surveys notably a ground-breaking national study on VAW and VACH in Tajikistan. She is a former lecturer at the Tajik Pedagogical University and director of Sociology department of the Tajik Aluminium Plant. She collaborated with the Danish National Research Centre for the Working Environment.

Adeleh Mohseni (Afghanistan) is a civil rights and women’s rights activist and has a Bachelor’s degree in Judicial Law from Tabriz University in Iran. After returning to Afghanistan in 2002, she has undertaken many activities in the regard to reviewing civil and family laws from the perspective of women’s rights, including the draft Law for Prohibition of Violence Against Women, the Shia Personal Status Law, Marriage and Divorce Registration Document, and the draft Family Law. She is a founder of Afghanistan Women’s Political Participation Committee and has worked with many international human rights and women's rights organisations. She is currently working with “Alternative links for training and development.”

Shazoda Samarqandi Nazarzoda (Uzbekistan), born in 1975 in Samarkand, is the writer of three novels, Stockholm Syndrome, Registan, and Back to Bukhara (in English) and three poetry anthologies. She was mentioned twice in BBC Persian Service’s 100 influential Persian-speaking women and won the Prize for literature "Best Female Author - 2016" from Open Eurasian Literary Festival. She has worked for BBC Persian Service and Radio Zamaneh.

Awin Mostafazadeh (Iran) is living at Kurdistan Region (Iraq), has a Bachelor’s degree in Sociology and is a member of the board of the “Centre for Women of Kurdistan in Iran”, as a diaspora organisation. In the past 10 years, she has been working with Kurdpa Human Rights Organisation focusing on Kurdistan, and on violation of women's rights in the Iranian Kurdistan.

Tariq Saedi (Afghanistan) has a Master’s degree in Persian Language and Literature from the Jamia Millia Islamia University in New Delhi. He is currently a lecturer at Herat University and has worked as an investigative journalist for Salam Watandar Radio. He is a women’s rights activist and a member of the Movement for Change and has written numerous articles on women’s rights and feminist studies.

Parastou Forouhar (Iran) is a writer, artist and human rights activist. Her art works have been exhibited in many countries around the world, including Iran, Germany, the US, Turkey, Russia and the UK. She and her brother Arash had to emigrate from Iran after their parents, Daryoush Forouhar and Parvaneh Eskandari, were assassinated. Parastou’s works are mostly critical reflections of the political situation in Iran, which deal with complexities of tradition and culture and their impact on individual identity.

Guissou Jahangiri , FIDH Vice-President & OPEN ASIA|Armanshahr Executive Director, studied political sociology & is a life-time committed feminist, human rights defender, peace & cultural activist. She worked 15 years as a journalist for Courrier International & spent 5 years in Tajikistan during the civil war as HRW researcher & acting head of UN Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. In 2006, she founded Armanshahr Foundation & Publishing House in Afghanistan, created the Simorgh International Peace Prize & Women’s Film Festival-Herat.