Negin Shiraghaei is the Founder/Director of Azadi Network, a grassroots organization dedicated to elevating the voices of marginalized groups in Iran through capacity and alliance building.
Negin has experience building communities and organizing groups. She is a trainer of the Marshall Ganz method and has been training activists and leaders globally. Since September 2022, Azadi Network has connected more than 30 people from Iran with human rights organizations and international media outlets to ensure their voices are heard and human rights violations have been documented. More than 70 media interviews have been conducted by the core team on the “Women, Life, Freedom” Movement. See examples BBC, DW, and Monocle24. Through its events and Information Bundles, it managed to bring Human Rights violations in Iran to the center of attention. Events such as the launch of the Gender Apartheid Enquiry and mobilizing high-profile people such as Richard Branson to raise awareness about HR abuse in Iran. It managed to train more than 80 community members inside and outside Iran on organizing and leadership skills.
Negin is a former BBC Persian news anchor. Shas has more than 20 years of experience advocating for women's rights both inside and outside of Iran. Through her tireless campaigning at BBC Persian, she was instrumental in increasing the representation of women in the media from 7% to 32%.
Negin has addressed the UN Human Rights Council twice, discussing the methods used by the Islamic Republic to restrict free expression, as well as the significance of addressing harassment of female journalists online. She has been hosting workshops for Iranian and Afghan women and training them for media interviews.
Shiraghaei co-founded March Health "March Health"., an AI-powered women's health solution that eases physical and psychological menstrual discomfort. [1]
After leaving the BBC she founded Open Growth UK, a communication company to elevate purpose-driven individuals and start-ups, which she closed after joining March Health."Open Growth UK". Archived from the original on 2 December 2021. Retrieved 23 December 2020.
Shiraghaei has been campaigning against systematic harassment of female journalists. [2] She is also a director of Coding for Girls Limited.[3]
In November 2017, it was reported in The Times that the Iranian authorities had tried to influence her reporting through the intimidation of her family in Iran.[4][5] She talked about her experience at the BBC in an interview including the harassment of her family.[6]
Before joining the BBC in January 2009, she worked as a journalist for the Iranian news outlets, Hamshahri Newspaper, Shargh Newspaper, Etemaad Newspaper, the Cultural Heritage News Agency and ISNA News Agency.