On August 15, 2023, the Iran 1400 Project interviewed Dr. Ali Akbar Mahdi about the effects, obstacles, goals, and potential transformations of the Woman, Life, Freedom movement. Dr. Mahdi discussed how the protests exposed the repressive nature of the Islamic Republic and in doing so, made it more vulnerable. He then commented on the movement’s shortcomings in terms of institutional progress, citing factors such as organizational deficiencies and influence from abroad.
This interview is part of a series of 17 interviews on the Woman, Life, Freedom movement. If you’d like to watch the other videos from this series, click here:
Dr. Ali Akbar Mahdi is a sociology professor at California State University, Northridge. He received his B.A. in sociology from National University Iran and his M.A. and Ph.D. in sociology from Michigan State University. Dr. Mahdi has assumed different roles at several academic institutions during his career, including executive director of the Center for Iranian Research and Analysis and associate editor of Iranian Studies Journal.
