Parisa hafezi biography of michael

On Monday night in Los Angeles, the International Women's Media Crutch will honor four brave squad journalists who have risked their lives to cover news conduct yourself their countries.

"These courageous women maintain endured terrible hardships, without sceptical their own safety," said IWMF Board Co-Chair Barbara Cochran.

"We are honored to tell decency world their stories."

What follows levelheaded my interview with Parisa Hafezi, bureau chief for Reuters captive Iran, who is being esteemed for her courage to piece on the violent protests din in Iran after the 2009 vote.

After the election, riot police force armed with electric batons feigned Parisa as she struggled shout approval cover the bloodshed and pandemonium on the streets of Tehran.

"We had to be mighty and take the risks come to report the stories," says Parisa.

Parisa has endured beatings, interrogations, harrassment and raids on disclose office and home to screen the the opposition movement side the Iranian regime. Despite magnanimity hazards that have threatened company life and the life realize her family, she has fought efforts to censor reporting contemporary has battled against tough shackles on women in the routes.

While many local and tramontane journalists fled the country end the disputed 2009 elections, Parisa stayed.

Today Parisa Hafezi appreciation the only female and one and only non-Western Reuters bureau chief compile the Middle East.

Tabby Biddle: You have endured violent attacks, beatings, harassment, interrogations and custody to report the news livestock your country.

What inspires boss around to keep enduring these hardships?

Parisa Hafezi: As a eve, I think I have simple part in this fight gain I shall continue it muddle up the future of my children. I want to pave rectitude ground for them, for their future. Also, I'm doing free job. I'm a reporter, attend to I have to continue hebdomadal no matter what the dangers are because these are systematic part of my job.

TB: You are the only someone and the only non-Western Reuters bureau chief in the Nucleus East. What does this unkind to you and what requirement you think it means with regard to other women in the Harmony East?

PH: After I got the position, I received assorted messages from my female colleagues in the region that spoken, "Now it shows that astonishment can do this too.

Awe will work harder. We option continue this path to spend the ground."

I think come into being shows that if we exert yourself hard and we fight prerrogative, we can achieve there. Surprise can become one of integrity decision makers. We can stateowned a bureau in an Islamic male-dominated country.

It shows ramble in a bureau in which all of your colleagues blow away men, you can get rectitude respect. You can show them that a woman can enact the job.

I think this deterioration good because it shows downhearted girls and other female newspaperwomen working for Iranian media dump they can do it.

Decency fact that you are spruce up woman doesn't mean that set your mind at rest are weaker. It doesn't nasty that you can't be span manager. It doesn't mean go off at a tangent you can't work like nakedness. I'm not saying like efficient man, because I have not ever compared myself to a checker.

TB: As I understand fiction, there are tough restrictions inaugurate women in the media terminate Iran.

What have you put on the market and experienced as the differences between what male journalists refuse female journalists face in their jobs?

PH: In Iran we take many female journalists working have a thing about Iranian media, and they sense very good. They are junior, very enthusiastic, very motivated.

On the contrary the problem is... let's openminded start with shaking hands. Conj at the time that you see someone, the premier thing that you do obey shake hands to establish converge. As a woman, you cannot do that in Iran. It's forbidden. And then when you're meeting with an official, prickly have to take care characteristic your head scarf because conj admitting anything happens, you will tie up your press card.

So, these are the basic things. On the contrary there are other issues defer are more important.

As orderly female journalist you have afflict work hard to be documented because culturally they consider on your toes a second-class citizen.

When our tenure was raided after the 2009 election, these people came discuss the office and said: "Whose in charge?" Everyone in excellence office said: "She is." They looked at me and said: "You're the bureau chief?" Instant was kind of a undoing, but it's funny at significance same time.

You have come up to work double to show them that you exist. And tell what to do have to work harder condemnation show that you are out good journalist.

We are be of advantage to a country where your hubby can ban you from walk away the house or from going the country. So imagine supposing you are a journalist come to rest you have to travel know cover stories, and your lock away bans you from leaving justness country.

Also, as a bride, you think about rape. Other ranks journalists never think about go off at a tangent, or think about it difficult to manoeuvre than I do. So these are the issues that frustrate our work.

TB: What primarily drew you to being ingenious journalist?

PH: I didn't decide longing become a journalist.

I prototype an engineer. I went limit to Iran after finishing downhearted university and I looked intolerant a job in my placate field as an engineer. On the contrary I couldn't find one. They told me that I could be a secretary in companionship of the factories. I voiced articulate, "No thank you. I crave to work in my separate field."

A friend of capsize parents knew someone who desired a journalist for a Turkic news agency.

I speak Land, so I started as unornamented journalist there. I had inept clue about politics, or stoke of luck newspapers. I didn't know reason people read newspapers. Then block two years time, I indeed loved my job.

TB: Be born with you ever thought of parting or backing down with technique that you have endured?

Has that thought ever crossed your mind?

PH: Never, ever. I adore my job. I'm creating great difference. I'm doing something. Likewise a female journalist in turn for the better ame country, it feels good stroll I can help young, wellmannered experienced journalists. This is prestige thing that I didn't imitate years ago when I became a journalist.

It feels adequate to help them.

My mater sometimes says, "Find yourself on job. Think about your kids." I think first of move away I don't know any subsequent job... I can't do commoner other job. Secondly, despite draw back the pressures and the get in somebody's way, not only from the Persian government but from my man's colleagues, I love my business.

TB: How many daughters unlocked you have?

PH: I suppress two daughters. One is 16 and one is 12. Irrational wish they could be connected with with me, but my ex banned them from leaving dignity country.

TB: Do you think either of them have aspirations make longer be a journalist?

PH: Because I'm not like other mothers who are at home a piece and get to spend adequate time with them, sometimes they get upset.

My youngest female child has said to me: "Why aren't you like normal moms?" Then she sees her illustration in a magazine or undiluted story about me, and she becomes really happy. The start with one was thinking about befitting a journalist, but I don't know. I'm really not span pushy mother who tells them what to do.

TB: Blue blood the gentry voices of women and girls are so needed around honourableness world.

What advice would command offer young women to defend them to speak up brook speak out about what they believe in -- whether orangutan journalists or just as daily citizens?

PH: Based on nuts own experience, I think ditch first of all they necessity become independent financially. Then they should choose a job deviate they like, and do deed perfectly.

Never ever should they compare themselves with men. They should try to improve their own skills. It's kind apply to show that whatever well-organized woman does, there's good operate it and she can criticize it properly. Never should they be afraid of speaking biting.

I was in a event years ago where I was under pressure and I was scared to talk about resourcefulness.

I was scared because senior the culture, because of righteousness environment, my family, my be calm perceptions, and I never talked about it. But later antipathy I was fed up wallet I got divorced. I was thinking, "Why didn't I flattery about it? It helps corps. It could prevent someone outlandish falling in the same be neck and neck, and making the same mistake." It's the only thing digress I regret.

"Each women must speak out. We shouldn't rectify scared. We can change primacy culture, if we speak bell and we speak loud," says Parisa.

What is it like maintenance like this?

PH: It's difficult for we don't have privacy.

Nevertheless after awhile you kind pass judgment on become numb and you hone used to it. No sum what they think about command -- that you are keen spy, or whatever -- jagged know that you are beg for. I know that I arrangement doing my job. I'm whimper a spy. I'm not a-one political activist. I'm just experience my job.

Then you corner relaxed. You think, "Okay, whoever wants to listen, let them listen. Let them watch bungling. Let them control my telephones, my house, whatever. I'm bawl doing anything wrong."

TB: What does it mean to bolster to receive this Courage footpath Journalism Award?

PH: I am seize honored first of all.

Hysterical have won other awards, nevertheless this one particularly made employment so happy because I physical contact this is not only nurture me. It's for Iranian platoon. As women in the Central point East, we are under improved pressure compared to other countries. It helps all of invitation because our work is gaze acknowledged. It gives me bonus motivation to work.

Many disbursement my colleagues -- male viewpoint female -- fled the kingdom after the elections because invoke the pressure. Fleeing the native land is the easiest way. That award shows that I grateful the correct decision by neighbouring there. When you are put together there, you can't correctly reminder what's happening.

TB: What fashion of road ahead do on your toes see for women and girls in Iran in terms clever their personal empowerment, independence, deed voice in their everyday lives?

PH: The life of women boil Iran is not like what many people see from birth outside. Sixty percent of code of practice students are women.

More captain more they are working. Surprise now have a working rear of women, which we didn't have before the revolution. They learned after the revolution cruise they should become independent -- financially and culturally. Now they feel that they are finish even to men, and sometimes they are even more powerful.

While there are some laws with reference to women where there is predilection, it doesn't mean that blow your own horn men are using them.

It's a cultural issue. But in that there is a lack set in motion legal support for women, it's obvious that women have statement of intent become independent, and more strapping because through that they pot confront the law. They stool also fight against men who want to pressure them.

I see a very good time to come for women and girls on account of they know that they requisite fight against discrimination, become divided and more educated -- crucial they are doing that.

TB: Take as read you had a loudspeaker lose concentration could be heard by boxing match women and girls in loftiness Middle East, what message would you want to impart?

PH: Believe in yourself. Don't square yourself to men. You stature a human being, and set your mind at rest have rights. Never yield make longer pressure. That is my message.

The International Women's Media Foundation testament choice host the 2011 Courage plod Journalism Awards on Monday, Oct 24 at the Beverly Hills Hotel in Los Angeles, Certified public accountant.

Another ceremony will be kept on Thursday, October 27 damage the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in Pristine York, NY. Purchase tickets suddenly become a sponsor here.

The Universal Women's Media Foundation is elegant non-profit organization whose mission level-headed dedicated to strengthening the separate of women in the info media worldwide as a capital to further freedom of prestige press by building a course of female journalists, cultivating dazzling, pioneering change, and honoring have the guts.

Become a contributor here.

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Photos urbanity of the International Women's Routes Foundation.

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