Women’s Rights in Iran: A Conversation with Kelly J. Shannon

In September, 22-year old Mahsa Amini died after being detained by Iran’s morality police for allegedly violating the Islamic Republic’s dress code. Protests quickly erupted, and over the past two months they have grown into calls for regime change. How did Iran, a country that once sat at the forefront of Muslim women’s advancement, end up with such conservative gender laws? After decades of repression, why did Amini's death lead to such a broad movement for reform? And how does the issue of Iranian women’s human rights constitute a policy issue for the United States? Join us in conversation with Kelly J. Shannon as we discuss Iranian women's human rights then and now. Kelly J. Shannon, Ph.D. is Associate Professor of History and the Executive Director of the Center for Peace, Justice, and Human Rights at Florida Atlantic University. She specializes in the 20th century history of U.S. foreign relations, with a particular focus on the Islamic world, Iran, and women’s human rights. She is the author of the book U.S. Foreign Policy and Muslim Women’s Human Rights (University of Pennsylvania Press, 2018).