(from left- Roya Hakakian, Anne Barnard, Chris Devito of Iran180, Arash Abadpour, Solmaz Sharif)

On Thursday, March 8, 2012, CyberDissidents.org’s Iranian Programs Coordinator, Solmaz Sharif, spoke at Iran180’s event marking International Women’s Day. Mediated by New York Times contributor Anne Barnard, Sharif was joined by prominent Iranian blogger, Arash Abadpour, as well as poet and founding member of Iran Human Rights Documentation Center, Roya Hakakian.

The discussion focused on the central issues facing Iranian women today, including the state of women’s rights activists, recent threats of war, the future of the Green movement, as well the impact of the Internet on society. When the discussion turned to the relationship between women rights and the Internet, Sharif noted the direct relationship between the spread of the Internet in the beginning of the 21st century and public awareness of women’s rights issues, including questions of education and economic empowerment. The speakers noted the success of the 1 Million Signatures campaign as an indicator of the imminent reforms in Iranian society powered by brigades of fearless Iranian women. For more pictures from the event and more information about Iran180, please click here.