Nina Ansary

Nina Ansary (Persian: نینا انصاری‎) (born 1966, Tehran, Iran) is an Iranian–American historian and author best known for her work on women's equity in Iran.[1] Ansary's research has notably countered conventional assumptions of the progress of women in Iran while continuing to advocate for full emancipation.[2] In 2015, Women's eNews recognized Ansary as one of "21 leaders of the 21st century."[1]

Nina Ansary
Nina Ansary in 2016
Born1966 (age 54–55)
Tehran, Iran
NationalityIranian, American
CitizenshipUnited States
EducationMiddle Eastern studies and political science
Alma materBarnard College
Columbia University
OccupationHistorian, writer
RelativesHushang Ansary (father),
Cyrus A. Ansary (uncle)
Websiteninaansary.com

Early life and education

Ansary was born in Tehran to former Iranian Ambassador to the United States Hushang Ansary and Maryam Panahi Ansary.[3][4] In 1978, months before the Iranian Revolution, Ansary's father moved the family to the United States and she grew up in New York City. Ansary received her bachelor's degree from Barnard College and both her master's degree and doctorate from Columbia University.[5]

Career

In 2013, Ansary's doctoral thesis about the women's movement in Iran produced research that would later inspire her book, The Jewels of Allah.[2][6] Despite Ayatollah Khomeini's views on women, they were some of his biggest supporters and this was a key factor in the collapse of the Pahlavi Monarchy in 1979.[7] Once it came to power, the Islamic republic in Iran did enforce the inferiority of women through policy.[8] Ansary's research challenged assumptions about the lives of women under these policies and accented the documented, if unanticipated, consequences including a growing female literacy rate, lower fertility, and increase of women overall in higher education in Iran.[5][9]

By 2014, Ansary and her research became increasingly prominent in mainstream media as authoritative on women's issues in Iran.[10][11] The Clarion Project featured Ansary and her work.[7] The Daily Beast published Ansary's essays, including analysis of the possibilities of using modern interpretations of the Koran to support increased social freedoms for women as proposed by Iranian President Hassan Rouhani.[12] Ansary became a regular commentator: she wrote widely about the rise of women's literacy in Iran and supported the renewed publication of Zanan magazine, Iran's only Persian language magazine for women.[13][14]

In early 2015, Women's eNews named Ansary as one of their "21 leaders of the 21st century" for interrupting legacy narratives and bringing clarity to often misunderstood stereotypes.[15] Ansary wrote that she wanted her work to dispel misconceptions and aid women living in Iran who "continue to fight an uphill battle and demonstrate their resilience."[16] Her work grew to encompass the greater issues around gender inequality. She brought attention to the release of Desert Dancer, a biographical film about Iranian dancer Afshin Ghaffarian.[17] Ansary was included in the 2015 InspireFest in Dublin, Ireland.[18]

In 2016, Marie Claire profiled Ansary as one of 14 privileged women to change the world.[19] Other recognitions include a feature in Angeleno Magazine's "Living Legacies of 2016"[20] and selection as one of "Five Iranian Visionaries You Need to Know"[21] and "6 Women Who Build Bridges Not Walls" by The New York Times.[22] Ansary has appeared on Larry King,[23] The BBC[24] and Fox News[25] and been featured in a variety of top publications, including CNN.com,[26] The Los Angeles Times,[27] and Teen Vogue[28].

In 2017, Ansary was invited to be a Visiting Fellow at the London School of Economics Centre for Women, Peace and Security.[29]

In 2018, Ansary was appointed as UN Women Champion for Innovation to advance women and girls in Technology and Entrepreneurship and began serving on the Board of Directors of the Center for Human Rights in Iran (CHRI), a New York-based organization[30] and on the board of directors of the Diplomacy Center Foundation. She was also awarded the 2018 Trailblazer Award from Barnard College at Columbia University presented to those who "exemplify the strength, determination, creativity, and courage."[31]

Books

Jewels of Allah

Ansary's book Jewels of Allah: The Untold Story of Women in Iran was published in 2015. The book highlights stories of Iranian women and follows the history of women's liberation in Iran both before and after the 1979 Islamic Revolution.[32] The book received positive reviews; Kirkus Reviews called it "well-documented and persuasively written examination of the change in Iranian women’s status" and The New York Times stated that its premise is "both gripping and features a clever thought-provoking twist."[32][33] The book has also won multiple awards, including the International Book Award for Women's Issues; Eric Hoffer Award for Best Culture Book, Best Book Cover, and Best Debut Author; Indie Book Award for Historical Non-Fiction and Women's Issues; ForeWord IndieFab Award for Women's Studies; and Best Book Award for Women's Issues.[34][35][36][37]

Anonymous Is a Woman

Ansary announced her next book, Anonymous Is a Woman: A Global Chronicle of Gender Inequality, would be published by Revela Press, LLC on March 8, 2020. The book explores the roots of institutionalized gender discrimination throughout history.[38] The book received positive reviews; San Francisco Book Review gave the book its highest rating of five stars and said, "...immersing yourself in this book will prove beneficial to your historical knowledge...a learning tool for men and women alike with insightful information galore..."[39] and Foreword Reviews gave it a 5 out of 5 rating and said the book is “Inspiring, compelling, and necessary...an examination of the systems of power that...have silenced women’s voices and contributions."[40]

Philanthropy

Ansary helped administer the Ansary Fellows Program at Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government and the Ansary Fellowships at Texas A & M University. Ansary serves on the board of trustees of the Iranian American Women Foundation[41] and the international advisory board at University of Cambridge Middle East and North Africa Forum (MENAF), She donated the profits from her book to charities, primarily those that aid disadvantaged girls and women in Iran.[32]

Awards

In 2019, Ansary was the recipient of the Ellis Island Award [42]and was honored by the Iranian American Women Foundation as a "Woman of Influence."[43] In 2020, Ansary received the Columbia University Graduate School of Arts and Sciences Outstanding Alumni Award for "graduates who have advanced not only their academic fields, but the larger world as well."[44]

References
  1. Loffreda, Daniela (January 29, 2015). "Dr Nina Ansary speaks about the Iranian women's movement". Middle East Eye. Retrieved May 12, 2015.
  2. Paschal, Jan (January 2, 2015). "21 Leaders 2015: Seven Who Interrupt Legacy Narratives". Women's E-News. Retrieved May 15, 2015.
  3. Milani, Abbas (2008). Eminent Persians : the men and women who made modern Iran, 1941–1979 : in two volumes (1st ed.). Syracuse, N.Y.: Syracuse University Press. p. 81. ISBN 9780815609070.
  4. Bill, James A. (1988). The eagle and the lion : the tragedy of American-Iranian relations. New Haven: Yale University Press. pp. 165–354. ISBN 9780300044126. hushang ansary ambassador.
  5. Paschal, Jan (January 2, 2015). "Dr. Nina Ansary: Los Angeles' Unearther of Unexpected Consequence". Women's eNews. 2015 Women's eNews Inc. Retrieved May 14, 2015.
  6. Ansary, Nina (June 2015). The Jewels of Allah. Revela Press. ISBN 978-0986406409.
  7. Friedland, Elliot (October 2, 2014). "Road to Equality in Iran Paved with Obstacles". The Clarion Project. Retrieved May 15, 2015.
  8. Sahrraei, Fariba (September 22, 2012). "Iranian university bans on women causes consternation". BBC News Persian. Retrieved May 15, 2015.
  9. Staff. "The Jewels of Allah, the Untold Story of Women in Iran". Kirkus Reviews. Kirkus Channels. Retrieved May 15, 2015.
  10. Thacker, Purvi (April 3, 2015). "Prominent Iranian women weigh in on historic nuclear deal". NYT Live. The New York Times. Retrieved May 15, 2015.
  11. Naili, Hajer (August 4, 2014). "Fertility Push Viewed as Unsexy by Young Iranians". Reuters News. Trust.org. Retrieved May 15, 2015.
  12. Ansary, Nina (August 22, 2014). "Can Women in Iran be Equal?". The Daily Beast. Retrieved May 15, 2015.
  13. Jaafari, Shirin (June 5, 2014). "After six years of silence, a women's magazine makes a comeback in Iran". PRI: Public Radio International. Retrieved May 15, 2015.
  14. Ansary, Nina (March 13, 2014). "In Iran, Keep Your Eye on Jump in Female Literacy". Women's eNews. Retrieved May 15, 2015.
  15. Jensen, Rita Henley (January 1, 2015). "Women's eNews Announces 21 Leaders 2015". Women's eNews. Retrieved May 15, 2015.
  16. Beitollahi, Yasamin (December 12, 2014). "Men Redefining the Glass Ceiling of Gender Inequality". Huffington Post. Retrieved May 15, 2015.
  17. Beitollahi, Yasamin (April 10, 2015). "Desert Dancer: Art and Humanity Blooms in Post-Revolutionary Iran". Huffington Post. Retrieved May 15, 2015.
  18. O'Connell, Claire (May 8, 2015). "Inspirefest speaker leads you back into Ireland's inventive past with Ingenious tours". SiliconRepublic.com. Retrieved May 15, 2015.
  19. "14 Daughters of the Rich and Famous You Didn't Know Were Changing the World". Marie Claire. August 24, 2016. Retrieved March 28, 2017.
  20. "ANGE November 2016 Page 116". Retrieved March 28, 2017.
  21. "Five Iranian women visionaries you need to know". Women in the World in Association with The New York Times - WITW. March 8, 2016. Retrieved March 28, 2017.
  22. "6 women who are building bridges – not walls – with countries of conflict". Women in the World in Association with The New York Times - WITW. March 8, 2017. Retrieved March 28, 2017.
  23. Larry King (April 9, 2015), Nina Ansary Joins Larry King on PoliticKING with Larry King | Ora.TV, retrieved February 7, 2018
  24. Nina Ansary (June 14, 2016), BBC World News Featuring Nina Ansary, retrieved February 7, 2018
  25. "Author shares the 'Untold Story of Women in Iran'". Fox News. February 15, 2016. Retrieved February 7, 2018.
  26. Mackintosh, Eliza. "49% of Iranians against compulsory veil, report says". CNN. Retrieved February 7, 2018.
  27. Etehad, Melissa (March 31, 2017). "From L.A. to Tehran, nose jobs are a rite of passage and a quiet rebellion for many Persian women". latimes.com. Retrieved February 7, 2018.
  28. Iyer, Savita. "Women in Iran Could Influence Its Election in a MAJOR Way". Teen Vogue. Retrieved February 7, 2018.
  29. "Dr Nina Ansary – People – Women, Peace and Security – Home". www.lse.ac.uk. Retrieved March 15, 2017.
  30. "Bio: Nina Ansary – Center for Human Rights in Iran". www.iranhumanrights.org. Retrieved May 3, 2018.
  31. "Barnard's 2018 Annual Gala". giving.barnard.edu. Retrieved January 15, 2019.
  32. Tavani, Andrew (June 22, 2015). ""Would you believe that I'm a woman from Iran?" Trailer for "Jewels of Allah: The Untold Story of Women in Iran" makes viewers rethink their preconceptions". NYTLive, The New York Times. Retrieved July 2, 2015.
  33. Staff writer (May 7, 2015). "JEWELS OF ALLAH The Untold Story of Women in Iran". Kirkus Reviews. Retrieved July 2, 2015.
  34. "Eric Hoffer Book Award Winners". www.hofferaward.com. Retrieved November 21, 2016.
  35. Awards, Next Generation Indie Book. "Next Generation Indie Book Awards". indiebookawards.com. Retrieved November 21, 2016.
  36. "International Book Awards – Honoring Excellence in Independent & Mainstream Publishing". www.internationalbookawards.com. Archived from the original on November 15, 2016. Retrieved November 21, 2016.
  37. "Jewels of Allah is a Foreword Reviews' 2015 INDIEFAB Book of the Year Award Winner". Foreword Reviews. Retrieved November 21, 2016.
  38. McDowell, Maya (February 14, 2020). "You Probably Haven't Heard of These 50 Female Innovators, But This Author Wants to Change That". ELLE. Retrieved March 12, 2020.
  39. "Anonymous Is a Woman: A Global Chronicle of Gender Inequality | San Francisco Book Review". Retrieved March 12, 2020.
  40. "Review of Anonymous Is a Woman". www.forewordreviews.com. Retrieved March 12, 2020.
  41. Staff. "Iranian American Women Foundation". 2015 Iranian-American Women's Foundation. Retrieved May 14, 2015.
  42. "2019 Ellis Island Medal of Honor Recipients". eihonors.org. Archived from the original on July 15, 2019. Retrieved April 15, 2019.
  43. "IAW Foundation Events". Retrieved April 15, 2019.
  44. "GSAS Announces Recipients of 2020 Alumni Awards". gsas.columbia.edu. Retrieved June 19, 2020.
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