Mahsa Abdolzadeh (Arabic: مهسا عبدل زاده) (born 22 September 1985) is an Austrian politician for the Green Party in Vienna and a political scientist.[1] She is a feminist and an activist for women, LGBTQ, and minority rights.

Mahsa Abdolzadeh
Born (1985-09-22) September 22, 1985 (age 38)
Tabriz, Iran
Alma materUniversity of Vienna
Occupation(s)Politician, Activist, Author
Political partyGreen Party

Early life and career edit

Abdolzadeh was born during the Iran-Iraq War in Tabriz, Iran, and grew up in both Tehran and Vienna. She later moved to live solely in Vienna, in 2004. She has earned a master's degree in political science from The University of Vienna in 2013 whilst studying child social work in a private college in Vienna.

After completing her studies, she published a book depicting women movements in Iran.[2] This text has been one of the most notable works in German academia, concerning women's rights in Iran. In 2017, Abdolzadeh opened the first gender-neutral and religion-neutral kindergarten in Austria, based on her concept from her doctoral thesis.[3][4] Like many other pioneers of alternative education, she faced massive attacks and had to endure a severe shitstorm between 2022 and 2023 from Right-wing politicians in Austria accused her of misusing funding.[5] It wasn't until the summer of 2023 that the Vienna Public Prosecutor's Office proved her innocence and dropped the charges. Currently, investigations are ongoing against those who sought to discredit Abdolzadeh's forward-thinking ideas.[6][7] She has published numerous articles in the German and Persian languages, primarily about feminism in Europe and the Middle East, European Immigration Politics, and the negative effects of fundamentalist Islamic education among the Jihad.[8]

She initially started her work in sales management, later becoming a social worker. After her studies, she became a women's adviser for the Green Party in Vienna. As of 2015, she is an elected politician for the Green Party in the 19th district of Vienna.[9][10][11][12][13][14] [15][16][17][18][19]

Publications edit

  • (2014) German: Demokratieversuche der Frauenbewegung im Iran: Eine historische Analyse mit Beispielen aus dem 20. Jahrhundert (Hamburg Kovac)

References edit

  1. ^ "Mahsa Abdolzadeh". gruene.at. Retrieved 31 May 2016.
  2. ^ https://www.verlagdrkovac.de/978-3-8300-7837-1.htm#:~:text=Der%20Beginn%20der%20Iranischen%20Frauenbewegung,Anteil%20an%20diesem%20langjährigen%20Prozess.
  3. ^ https://www.derstandard.at/story/2000101582820/ein-kindergarten-der-alles-richtig-machen-will
  4. ^ https://www.derstandard.at/story/2000140596014/rosa-feuerwehrkleidung-puppen-mit-geschlechtsteilen-wie-erzieht-man-genderneutral
  5. ^ https://www.ots.at/presseaussendung/OTS_20230210_OTS0071/fpoe-nepp-wiener-gruene-im-korruptions-sumpf-ruecktritt-und-parteiausschluss-ueberfaellig
  6. ^ https://www.meinbezirk.at/doebling/c-politik/abdolzadeh-aeussert-sich-nach-ermittlungsende_a6258629
  7. ^ "Portal für Politikwissenschaft - Demokratieversuche der Frauenbewegung im Iran". pw-portal.de. Retrieved 31 May 2016.
  8. ^ Unique. "Auf dem Weg ins Paradies - Unique". univie.ac.at. Archived from the original on 13 March 2018. Retrieved 31 May 2016.
  9. ^ "Personensuche". wien.gv.at. Retrieved 31 May 2016.
  10. ^ "This Human World - Programm". thishumanworld.com. Archived from the original on 30 May 2016. Retrieved 31 May 2016.
  11. ^ "Themenabend: Feministische Bewegungen im islamischen Raum". junge-gruene.at. 10 February 2015. Archived from the original on 13 March 2018. Retrieved 31 May 2016.
  12. ^ Austria, Regionalmedien. "Ausstellung über Iranische Frauenwelten (Lesung)". meinbezirk.at. Retrieved 31 May 2016.
  13. ^ Unique. "Eine Kritik am falsch verstandenen Feminismus - Unique". univie.ac.at. Archived from the original on 13 March 2018. Retrieved 31 May 2016.
  14. ^ "Demokratieversuche der Frauenbewegung im Iran - Österreichischer Frauenring". frauenring.at. Archived from the original on 13 March 2018. Retrieved 31 May 2016.
  15. ^ Adik, Petra. "Austrian premiere of Those Who Said No". nimafilmsweden.com. Archived from the original on 28 March 2017. Retrieved 31 May 2016.
  16. ^ "Eine Kritik an instrumentalisiertem Feminismus". gruene.at. Retrieved 31 May 2016.
  17. ^ Unique. "Auf dem Weg ins Paradies - Unique". univie.ac.at. Archived from the original on 13 March 2018. Retrieved 31 May 2016.
  18. ^ "Workshop: Homosexuelle Frauen im Iran". gruene.at. Retrieved 31 May 2016.
  19. ^ "Gedenkfeier zu Farkhundas Mord - dasbiber". dasbiber.at. Retrieved 31 May 2016.