Who We Are

ICWIN’s Mission

The Iranian Circle of Women’s Intercultural Network “ICWIN” abides by WIN’s mission and policies and will follow an expanded mission and set of goals in its programming. The Circle aims to coordinate programs and community-building activities which inspires advocacy, educate and unite against all of forms of violence, and collaborate to express a collective voice.

ICWIN believes that while women share universal issues and struggles, they also have unique issues and struggles within their own socio-political communities and individual lives. Hence, ICWIN’s mission is to discuss and present topics related to gender equality in a global framework.

ICWIN’s ABC (Vision)

Advocacy for Gender Equality: Advocate and partner at city, county and state level for adoption of “CEDAW”. Our vision is an inclusive, equal and just society that promotes and protects human rights, gender equality and the integrity of the environment.

Be Bold for Change: Educate and Unite against all forms of “Violence”. Our vision is a future without violence that nurtures a culture of peace, safety, justice, awareness and empowerment.

Collaboration: Create a dynamic platform to express a “Collective Voice” and “Unite for Diversity”. Our vision is a large network of concerned citizens of Iranian decent working in union with like-minded people from various cultures globally. Collectively our presence is known, our voices are heard, and we gain the power to drive real change for our kids, families and communities.

ICWIN’s Philosophy

The Circle will focus on raising consciousness on issues related to Iranian women both inside Iran and in the Diasporas. In addition, the Circle aims to serve as a bridge not only connecting the Iranian women’s communities but in line with idea of intersectionality also to connect them with other women of race, color, ethnicity, social and economic standing at global level.

ICWIN’s Core Values

Accountability: As a volunteer based NGO, the committee members are accountable to the members of the community and one another, and focus on Relationship building, Clarity in decision making, and Respect at all levels of the partnership.

Be an agent of change: By reflecting on our identity as social change agents, we strive to find ways to connect with those involved in community service, activism, organizing, and advocacy and aim to enhance one another’s work.

Consensus Building: As a virtuous circle, the committee members’ approach to decision making is based on Consensus Building process; fostering dialogue, clarifying areas of agreement and disagreement, improving the information on which a decision may be based, and resolving controversial issues in ways that all interests find acceptable.

Integrity: Integrity is fundamental pillar of our vision, advocacy and actions.

Transparency: We are transparent in sharing objectives, sources of funding and positions on issues.

ICWIN’s Steering Committee

Afsaneh Khajavi has been an advocate of children’s and women’s rights since high school days. She edited and published one of the first newsletters on women’s issues before the Iranian revolution, and with other Iranian feminists she established an organization providing health and educational services to underprivileged women. She immigrated to U.S. in 1983. By profession, she is a Principal Member of Technical Staff at AT&T Labs focusing on Network Architecture and Advanced Technologies.

Elahe Amani is a peace, gender equality & human rights activist. Elahe has been with Women’s Intercultural Network since 1995 in the capacity of Board Chairwoman and currently Chair of the Global Circles of Women’s Intercultural Network. Elahe is also a lead trainer on gender, peace building and Mediation with Mediator Beyond Boarders. Most recently in Nov 2015, she was invited to be one of the eight jurors the Court of Women Against War held in Bangalore, India. Professionally, she has been with California State University System for the last 29 years. Elahe taught in the Women Studies Program of CSULB and Fullerton and currently serves as Director of Technology and Deputy Coordinator of Title IX at California State University Fullerton.

Nazanin Amani is a children, women, Human rights and environment protection advocate. She is a member of IPAA (Iranian Persian American Association of Greater Long Beach). Previously, she served on the board of directors for the “Iranian Children Right Society”. She is also a certified Mediator with “Orange County Human Relation” and member of WIN (Women’s Intercultural Network). Professionally, she is the Senior Staff Electronic Design Engineer and Patent holder, working for Infineon Technologies.

Shahla Sepher Bebe has maintained a keen involvement in different groups and organizations dealing with political and social concerns. Shahla co-founded a feminist group in Los Angeles, “The Society of Independent Women” in 1995 and begun to gain more knowledge in the field of Women’s studies and contributed to the activities that was organized for gender-equality. She worked closely with the Iranian Women’s Studies Foundation (IWSF) and presented in the 13th annual Conference of IWSF. She presented topics related to women in the Iranian Radio 670 KIRN for 3 years; served as the Secretary of the Board of Directors of “Iranian Artists Visual Arts” from 2009 to 2012 and was the Chairperson of the “Iranian Visual Artists” (IVA). Shahla is member of WIN (Women’s Intercultural Network), WIPI (Women in Photography International), APA (American Photographic Artists), and NAPP (National Association of Photoshop Professionals). She believes that the medium of photography creates unique and powerful means to speak about issues that torment or exhilarate her. Shahla is an award-winning photographer, was trained in graphic art, photography and post-production. Her profession and passion is primarily focused on commercial portrait and fine art and her work has been exhibited in art centers in America, Europe and Canada.

Ruja Kia was born in Iran and moved to the US as a teenager, growing up in Albuquerque NM. She holds an Associate degree in Computer Animation, BA in University Studies (gender studies- women of Middle East) from University of New Mexico, and a Master of Public Administration (non-for-profit management global leadership) from Portland State University. She is active in the non for profit fields locally as a volunteer and committee member and hopes to create equal and adequate access to information and resources to all who require it. She is a social justice advocate and civil social activist and organizer working mainly in diaspora.

Negar Vaez was born in Iran. Holds a BA in English translation, MA in Linguistics, and MA in Sociology from Ankara University, Turkey. She has been active in the non for profit fields locally and globally especially in the field of women empowerment and helping children remain in school as a volunteer and committee member. She has been an ethnographic researcher on domestic violence and the social and economic situation of refugees in Turkey.

Pari Mostovoj was born in Iran and came to the United States in 1979. She studied at Moorpark College and CSUN (California State University Northridge). She has worked as a translator for various organizations, such as Javanan magazine and did the translation for the movie “A View from a Grain of Sand” which focused on the plight of Afghan women refugees caught up in the war in Afghanistan.She has been active in the Conejo Valley Democratic Party and in the national grassroots organization “Indivisible” which played an important role in having the Democratic Party regain control of the House of Representatives in 2018. She is also an active environmentalist and has been to Congress in Washington to promote key environmental legislation in Congress. She also worked for the US Department of Agriculture for six years in conducting field surveys with farmers on various issues of interest to Congress.

Our partners

About WIN

Women Intercultural Network “WIN” was established in 1995 and is a 501© (3) NGO consultative to the United Nations Economic and Social Council. Aileen Hernandez, second president of National Organization of Women and the only woman to serve on the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission after it was established in 1964 and Marilyn Fowler, WIN CEO and President, a lifetime gender equality advocate and change maker who among many other endeavors, organized the first Community Advisory Committee for Planned Parenthood of KC (PPKC) and the first Public Affairs Committee for Planned Parenthood Federation of America, representing PPFA at the First UN Conference on Women, Mexico City, 1975, are pioneer women who established the network following the UN Fourth World Conference in Beijing, China, September 1995.

WIN’s mission is to assure that the voices of all women and girls are heard in public forums for full participation in their government and economies, and expand the circle of women and girls leadership for collective action.

WIN calls for circles of women from all communities to collaborate and cooperate with our mission, as well as bringing their communities’ unique needs and advocacy to the table. WIN has circles with women in Japan, Uganda and Afghanistan, as well as with Indigenous and farm worker women in the central valley and North coast of California.

The number one initiative that WIN is currently Co-Chairing nationally is Cities For CEDAW (Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women) with the goal of 100 US Cities including legal CEDAW ordinances on their agenda. The US is among six countries that has signed this International Convention but has not ratified it. As such we are ‘bringing the global issue local’.

WIN active involvement with the United Nation Commission on the Status of Women: UN CSW

Also see the past World Conference on Women pages:

Beijing History, Women’s Intercultural Network