Malek Jân Nemati (1906-1993), affectionately nicknamed Jâni, was born on December 11, 1906 in Jeyhounabad, a village in Persian Kurdistan where she spent most of her life.* Although she lived in a remote location, she was well aware of the problems and challenges of her time. By the age of 20, Malek Jân was completely blinded, a condition she viewed not as an affliction, but as an opportunity for learning and personal development.  In spite of her disability and fragile physique, she grew to be revered in her community and beyond as a sage and saint-like figure who was devoted to the service and advancement of humanity, especially the empowerment and equality of women and preservation of the rights of children.

Armed with the strength of her character, wisdom, and personal beliefs, she overcame cultural, political, and religious obstacles, often at the risk of her own peril, transforming an environment entrenched in prejudice and cultural determinism to one where women are considered equals. Her personal philosophy of life, including her conviction that women’s equality should be based upon their independence and empowerment, has significantly improved the lives of thousands, beginning in her own community in the East and extending well beyond to the West.  Malek Jân passed away at the age of 87 on July 15, 1993 in Paris, where she had been staying for health-related reasons. She was buried in France in a small village called Baillou, where a memorial has been erected in her memory.