Iranian of the Day

Human Rights Watch has announced that it plans to honour six “relentless and courageous advocates of human rights” in November 2010, with the prestigious Alison Des Forges Award for Extraordinary Activism, including Iranian civil and women's rights activist and founding member of the One Million Signatures Campaign, Sussan Tahmasebi.

Sussan Tahmasebi, is a woman’s activist whose efforts have been aimed at strengthening Iranian civil society with a focus on gender issues and women's rights. According to HRW, she has conducted training in leadership and peace-building, continues to facilitate collaboration between Iranian and international civil society, and is a founding member of the award-winning One Million Signatures Campaign. The campaign’s main goal is to put an end to discriminatory legislation against women in Iran.

The activist’s commitment towards women’s rights has come at a high price, with pressure from security apparatus on one hand, and being barred from leaving the country for two years on the other. Human Rights Watch honours Sussan Tahmasebi for her “dedication to promoting civil society and making women's rights a national priority in Iran.” >>>