Mahnaz Afkhami

Papers chiefly presented at a conference titled "Religion, culture, and women's human rights in the Muslim world," held Sept. 9-10, 1994 at the American University in Washington, D.C., and sponsored by Sisterhood Is Global Institute.

At the Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing, the international community accepted women's rights as human rights, and with it the charge to work toward the full integration of women in the affairs of their respective nations. Muslim Women and the Politics of Participation is about ways of promoting women's participation in the affairs of Muslim societies: from raising consciousness and changing codes of law to penetrating the economic markets and influencing national and international policies. Editors Mahnaz Afkhami and Erika Friedl challenge stereotypes about Muslim women and probe the difficulties and possibilities women face as they work for positive social change. Sixteen activists and politicians from international organizations--most from Muslim countries--discuss, for the first time, major issues relevant to Muslim women striving to achieve their human rights through political participation.