Nayereh Esfahlani Tohidi (Persian: نیره توحیدی; born 1951) is an Iranian‑born American professor, researcher, and academic administrator known for her contributions to gender studies, Islamic studies, and Middle Eastern scholarship. She is professor emerita and former chair of the Department of Gender and Women’s Studies at California State University, Northridge (CSUN), where she also founded and directed the Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies program (2011‑2021). Tohidi serves as a research associate at the Center for Near Eastern Studies, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).
Early life and education
- Born: 1951, Iran.
- Undergraduate: B.S. in Psychology (major) and Sociology (minor), University of Tehran, 1975.
- Graduate: M.A. in Educational Psychology (Human Development), University of Illinois at Urbana‑Champaign, 1979.
- Doctorate: Ph.D. in Educational Psychology (Socio‑Cultural Perspectives), University of Illinois at Urbana‑Champaign, 1983.
Academic career
- Joined California State University, Northridge as a faculty member in the mid‑1980s, obtaining a teacher‑training credential (1984‑1986).
- Served as chair of the Department of Gender and Women’s Studies, overseeing curriculum development and interdisciplinary research initiatives.
- Founded the Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies program at CSUN, directing it from 2011 until its transition in 2021.
- Holds a research associate position at UCLA’s Center for Near Eastern Studies, coordinating the bilingual lecture series on Iran since 2003.
- Held visiting appointments at several institutions, including the University of Iowa, University of Minnesota, Harvard University, and the University of Southern California.
Research focus
Tohidi’s scholarship centers on:
- Gender, Islam, feminism, and modernity in the Persianate and Turkic societies of the Middle East, the Caucasus, and Central Asia.
- Ethnicity, ethno‑religious movements, and democratic developments in Iran, Azerbaijan, and post‑Soviet Central Eurasia.
- Human and women’s rights, with particular attention to the intersection of religion and gender politics.
Selected publications
- Edited volumes:
- Women in Muslim Societies: Diversity within Unity (1998).
- Globalization, Gender and Religion: The Politics of Women’s Rights in Catholic and Muslim Contexts (2011).
- Monographs:
- Feminism, Democracy and Islamism in Iran (1996, Persian).
- Articles and book chapters covering topics such as gender and national identity in post‑Soviet Azerbaijan, women’s political participation in Iran, and comparative analyses of women’s rights movements across religious contexts.
Awards and honors
- Fulbright Lectureship and research grant at the Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Azerbaijan.
- Post‑doctoral fellowships at Harvard University, Stanford University’s Hoover Institution, and the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars (Kennan Institute).
- Keddie‑Balzan Fellowship at UCLA’s Center for Near Eastern Studies.
- National Endowment for the Humanities grant (2015) to develop a minor in Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies at CSUN.
Professional affiliations
- Member of various scholarly associations in gender studies, Middle Eastern studies, and sociology.
- Active participant in international conferences and workshops on women’s rights, Islam, and democratic reforms.
Legacy
Nayereh Tohidi’s interdisciplinary work bridges sociology, religious studies, and gender theory, contributing to a nuanced understanding of women’s experiences and rights within Muslim societies. Her leadership in academic program development and her extensive publication record have positioned her as a prominent figure in contemporary Middle Eastern and feminist scholarship.
