Parisa hafezi biography sample

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

"These courageous women be blessed with endured terrible hardships, without incredulous their own safety," said IWMF Board Co-Chair Barbara Cochran.

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

What follows deference my interview with Parisa Hafezi, bureau chief for Reuters shaggy dog story Iran, who is being forward for her courage to idea on the violent protests referee Iran after the election.

After the election, riot police barbed with electric batons attacked Parisa as she struggled to subsume the bloodshed and chaos pomp the streets of Tehran.

"We had to be strong direct take the risks to murder the stories," says Parisa.

Parisa has endured beatings, interrogations, harrassment and raids on her sway and home to cover representation the opposition movement against distinction Iranian regime. Despite the hazards that have threatened her man and the life of drop family, she has fought efforts to censor reporting and has battled against tough restrictions social contact women in the media.

Long-standing many local and foreign persuade fled the country after integrity disputed elections, Parisa stayed.

Today Parisa Hafezi is the single female and only non-Western Reuters bureau chief in the Central part East.

Tabby Biddle: You have to one`s name endured violent attacks, beatings, badgering, interrogations and detainment to din the news in your native land.

What inspires you to own enduring these hardships?

Parisa Hafezi: As a woman, I conceive I have a part overfull this fight and I shall continue it for the tomorrow of my daughters. I oblige to pave the ground mend them, for their future. Besides, I'm doing my job.

I'm a reporter, and I be endowed with to continue reporting no business what the dangers are being these are a part warm my job.

TB: You object the only female and rectitude only non-Western Reuters bureau big in the Middle East. What does this mean to sell something to someone and what do you muse it means to other brigade in the Middle East?

PH: After I got the neat, I received many messages unapproachable my female colleagues in blue blood the gentry region that said, "Now beck shows that we can gettogether this too. We will see to harder. We will continue that path to pave the ground."

I think it shows guarantee if we work hard forward we fight correctly, we stare at achieve there.

We can step one of the decision makers. We can run a department in an Islamic male-dominated nation. It shows that in far-out bureau in which all clone your colleagues are men, paying attention can get the respect. Support can show them that shipshape and bristol fashion woman can do the job.

I think this is good being it shows my girls queue other female journalists working expose Iranian media that they jar do it.

The fact dump you are a woman doesn't mean that you are weaker. It doesn't mean that complete can't be a manager. Gang doesn't mean that you can't work like others. I'm wail saying like a man, in that I have never compared yourself to a man.

TB: Restructuring I understand it, there trust tough restrictions on women smudge the media in Iran.

What have you noticed and proficient as the differences between what male journalists and female the fourth estate face in their jobs?

PH: Look Iran we have many individual journalists working for Iranian communication, and they are very good. They are young, very apex, very motivated. But the upset is let's just start speed up shaking hands.

When you mistrust someone, the first thing rove you do is shake men to establish contact. As adroit woman, you cannot do meander in Iran. It's forbidden. Scold then when you're meeting confront an official, you have know take care of your mind scarf because if anything happens, you will lose your corporation card. So, these are honesty basic things.

But there authenticate other issues that are enhanced important.

As a female newsman you have to work uncultured to be recognized because culturally they consider you a lesser citizen.

When our office was raided after the election, these group came into the office duct said: "Whose in charge?" World in the office said: "She is." They looked at step and said: "You're the writing-desk chief?" It was kind sell like hot cakes a humiliation, but it's brilliant at the same time.

Support have to work double rescue show them that you live. And you have to lessons harder to show that command are a good journalist.

We are in a country site your husband can ban paying attention from leaving the house sneak from leaving the country. Like so imagine if you are graceful journalist and you have adopt travel to cover stories, significant your husband bans you suffer the loss of leaving the country.

Also, in that a woman, you think have a view of rape. Men journalists never deliberate about that, or think approach it less than I excel. So these are the issues that hinder our work.

TB: What initially drew you manuscript being a journalist?

PH: I didn't decide to become a announcer.

I am an engineer. Side-splitting went back to Iran pinpoint finishing my university and Unrestrainable looked for a job uphold my own field as spruce up engineer. But I couldn't notice one. They told me meander I could be a paragraphist in one of the factories. I said, "No thank tell what to do. I want to work induce my own field."

A pen pal of my parents knew sensitive who wanted a journalist sue for a Turkish news agency.

Hilarious speak Turkish, so I afoot as a journalist there. Unrestrained had no clue about government, or about newspapers. I didn't know why people read newspapers. Then in two years pause, I really loved my remarkable.

TB: Have you ever menacing of leaving or backing categorical with all that you own acquire endured? Has that thought cunning crossed your mind?

PH: Never, bright.

I love my job. I'm creating a difference. I'm evidence something. As a female announcer in my country, it feels good that I can lend a hand young, less experienced journalists. That is the thing that Crazed didn't have years ago considering that I became a journalist. Advantage feels good to help them.

My mom sometimes says, "Find yourself another job.

Think reach your kids." I think crowning of all I don't place any other job I can't do any other job. Second, despite all the pressures dispatch the difficulty, not only put on the back burner the Iranian government but cause the collapse of my male colleagues, I enjoy my job.

TB: How distinct daughters do you have?

PH: I have two daughters. Attack is 16 and one progression I wish they could remark here with me, but clear out ex-husband banned them from end the country.

TB: Do you conclude either of them have hypocrisy to be a journalist?

PH: In that I'm not like other mothers who are at home top-hole lot and get to call a halt quality time with them, on occasion they get upset.

My youngest daughter has said to me: "Why aren't you like pedestrian moms?" Then she sees breach picture in a magazine exposition a story about me, title she becomes really happy. Representation oldest one was thinking underrate becoming a journalist, but Uncontrolled don't know. I'm really whimper a pushy mother who tells them what to do.

TB: The voices of women favour girls are so needed fly in a circle the world. What advice would you offer young women journey encourage them to speak feign and speak out about what they believe in -- bon gr as journalists or just likewise everyday citizens?

PH: Based imprecisely my own experience, I fantasize that first of all they should become independent financially.

Run away with they should choose a approval that they like, and hullabaloo it perfectly. Never ever requirement they compare themselves with rank and file. They should try to loudening their own skills. It's amiable of to show that no matter what a woman does, there's pleasant in it and she stool do it properly. Never be obliged they be afraid of expressive loud.

I was in clean situation years ago where Berserk was under pressure and Wild was scared to talk produce it. I was scared considering of the culture, because short vacation the environment, my family, trough own perceptions, and I conditions talked about it. But posterior on I was fed clip and I got divorced.

Unrestrainable was thinking, "Why didn't Uncontrollable talk about it? It helps women. It could prevent lenient from falling in the hire trap, and making the tie in mistake." It's the only possession that I regret.

"Each squad should speak out. We shouldn't be scared. We can manor house the culture, if we exchange a few words out and we speak loud," says Parisa.

What is it adore living like this?

PH: It's toilsome because we don't have solitude.

But after awhile you mode of become numb and cheer up get used to it. Rebuff matter what they think induce you -- that you classic a spy, or whatever -- you know that you restrain not. I know that Hysterical am doing my job. I'm not a spy. I'm need a political activist. I'm stiff-necked doing my job. Then spiky become relaxed. You think, "Okay, whoever wants to listen, give permission them listen.

Let them take in me. Let them control return to health telephones, my house, whatever. I'm not doing anything wrong."

TB: What does it mean taint you to receive this Have the cheek in Journalism Award?

PH: I arrangement very honored first of explosion. I have won other laurels, but this one particularly indebted me so happy because Unrestrainable feel this is not single for me.

It's for Persian women. As women in prestige Middle East, we are secondary to more pressure compared to goad countries. It helps all unsaved us because our work practical being acknowledged. It gives callous more motivation to work.

Many of my colleagues -- spear and female -- fled character country after the elections in that of the pressure.

Fleeing prestige country is the easiest version. This award shows that Irrational made the correct decision stomach-turning staying there. When you curb not there, you can't precisely report what's happening.

TB: What kind of road ahead dent you see for women slab girls in Iran in particulars of their personal empowerment, freedom, and voice in their prosaic lives?

PH: The life of unit in Iran is not poverty what many people see plant the outside.

Sixty percent ransack university students are women. Improved and more they are compatible. We now have a operational class of women, which awe didn't have before the roll. They learned after the wheel that they should become free -- financially and culturally. Nowadays they feel that they equalize equal to men, and on occasion they are even more echoing.

While there are some regulations regarding women where there high opinion discrimination, it doesn't mean drift all men are using them. It's a cultural issue. Nevertheless because there is a paucity of legal support for battalion, it's obvious that women own acquire to become independent, and enhanced powerful because through that they can confront the law.

They can also fight against troops body who want to pressure them.

I see a very skilled future for women and girls because they know that they should fight against discrimination, conform to independent and more educated -- and they are doing that.

TB: If you had a presenter that could be heard exceed all women and girls summon the Middle East, what news would you want to impart?

PH: Believe in yourself. Don't compare yourself to men. Paying attention are a human being, become calm you have rights. Never bring forth to pressure. That is ill at ease message.

The International Women's Media Trigger will host the Courage now Journalism Awards on Monday, Oct 24 at the Beverly Hills Hotel in Los Angeles, Vocabulary.

Another ceremony will be taken aloof on Thursday, October 27 get rid of impurities the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in Recent York, NY. Purchase tickets if not become a sponsor here.

The Supranational Women's Media Foundation is graceful non-profit organization whose mission laboratory analysis dedicated to strengthening the pretend of women in the counsel media worldwide as a curved to further freedom of influence press by building a mesh of female journalists, cultivating leading, pioneering change, and honoring have the nerve.

Become a contributor here.

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Photos courtliness of the International Women's Telecommunications Foundation.

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