Iranian Women you Should Know: Marjaneh Halati

November 16, 2015

6 min read

Iranian Women you Should Know: Marjaneh Halati

Global and Iranian history are both closely intertwined with the lives and destinies of prominent figures. Every one of them has laid a brick on history’s wall, sometimes paying the price with their lives, men and women alike. Women have been especially influential in the past 200 years, writing much of contemporary Iranian history.

In Iran, women have increased public awareness about gender discrimination, raised the profile of and improved women’s rights, fought for literacy among women, and promoted the social status of women by counteracting religious pressures, participating in scientific projects, being involved in politics, influencing music, cinema... And so the list goes on.

This series aims to celebrate these renowned and respected Iranian women. They are women who represent the millions of women that influence their families and societies on a daily basis. Not all of the people profiled in the series are endorsed by IranWire, but their influence and impact cannot be overlooked. The articles are biographical stories that consider the lives of influential women in Iran.

IranWire readers are invited to send in suggestions for how we might expand the series. Contact IranWire via email ([email protected]), on Facebook, or by tweeting us.

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Human rights advocate and social psychology expert Marjaneh Halati was born in Tehran in 1964 and moved with her family to the United Kingdom in 1975. After finishing her undergraduate education in the United States, she completed her Master’s degree in social psychology at the London School of Economics, where her work focused on social problems in Iran, including domestic violence. She completed her Ph.D at the University of Cambridge, and wrote her thesis on the institution of marriage in Iran.

In 2004, Halati, who lives in the UK, founded the Omid-e Mehr foundation in Tehran, a non-profit organization to help abused girls and young women in Iran. The foundation is registered in both the UK and the US and provides day centers, psychological support, education, and other services to women and girls who have experienced abuse.

“Problems of abuse, disadvantage and poverty exist all over the world, but the Omid Foundation focuses on helping girls who are suffering in Iran,” the foundation’s website says. “Our mission is to strengthen the social, emotional, and economic opportunities of disadvantaged young women in Iran. With a focus on women aged 15-25 years old, Omid runs centers with programs which operate through three key areas: Self-empowerment, education and training. We provide them with a sense of self-worth and with the opportunities to experience a full range of life options, by effective work placement, counselling, and assistance.”

The foundation started its work in Iran by supporting 14 abused young women. It now provides support to more than 200 girls and women who have been the victims of rape and violence and have nowhere else to turn.

A Better Future Starts with Better Mothers

“I had two motives for founding this foundation,” says Marjaneh Halati. “First, I wanted to do something to help girls and young women in Iran because during my field studies I found out that there were no government or private institutions to help them. I researched and studied for two years to find out what I could do for girls who have been victims of violence or who are exposed to social harms. I wanted to provide abused girls and women between 15 and 25 years old with an opportunity and a place so they can improve themselves both educationally and psychologically and return to society. My second motivation is that I believe that for Iran to have a better future we must start with mothers of the future. We must change how they think and introduce them to modern views and methods for bringing up their children and pass these views and methods to the future generation.”

Though she lives in the UK, Halati closely supervises the activities of her foundation in Iran and travels there regularly. “We registered the foundation when Mr. Khatami was president and encountered no problems,” Marjaneh Halati says. “Our foundation is completely non-profit and does not receive any help from the government. And nobody bothers us.”

The psychologists employed by the Omid-e Mehr Foundation are trained by US organizations that specialize in treating physically or psychologically abused women. In the beginning, the girls spent a period of 15 months in the shelter, but this was later increased to three years. “Part of the expenses of the foundation are paid for by myself and members of my family. The rest comes from people’s donations,” Halati says. She has also said she is determined to establish branches of her foundation in provincial towns as well as the capital, and hopes that she can extend the foundation’s activities to other Middle Eastern countries.

The Omid Foundation has two branches in Tehran. Its staff includes 15 psychologists and 25 social workers, who work closely with the girls and their families and offer counseling and psychological treatment. Through workshops and small groups, experts talk to the women and young girls about violence against women, rape, individual and human rights — and especially about the importance of critical thinking.

Girls enrolled in the foundation’s educational courses live at the center’s facilities. After completing their studies, the girls choose a specialized field of study. They then take courses offered outside the foundation for six months to a year, after which the foundation helps them to find jobs. The Omid-e Mehr Foundation also builds close relations with employers in order to offer ongoing support to the girls and young women with whom it works. Many have been encouraged and helped by the foundation to continue their education at the university level.

The Glass House, a 2009 documentary by director Hamid Rahmanian about four girls in the foundation’s rehabilitation center, won the Organization for Security and Co‑operation in Europe Human Rights Special Jury Award. The film is a testament to the success of Marjaneh Halati and the initiatives she has championed.

Also in the series:

50 Iranian Women you Should Know: Jinous Nemat Mahmoudi

50 Iranian Women you Should Know: Simin Behbahani

50 Iranian Women you Should Know: Forough Farrokhzad

50 Iranian Women you Should Know: Parvin Etesami

50 Iranian Women you Should Know: Farokhru Parsa

50 Iranian Women you Should Know: Jamileh Sadeghi

50 Iranian Women you Should Know: Fatemeh Daneshvar

50 Iranian Women you Should Know: Fatemeh Moghimi

50 Iranian Women you Should Know: Googoosh

50 Iranian Women you Should Know: Sima Bina

50 Iranian Women you Should Know: Tahereh Qurratu'l-Ayn