Communities often step in where the government falls short to push resilience, stop-gap solutions, and address systemic gaps.

CPD executive Director Lisa Grace Bersales: When a child becomes a mother, something has gone terribly wrong. These are girls who should be in school, discovering their dreams—not raising children before they even understand adulthood.

I still hope to revisit an unshackled and prosperous Iran where citizens can enjoy the beautiful poetry of Rumi and Hafez in peace; where the women are allowed to read, go to school, speak their minds without fear – and wear their hijabs and chadors by choice.

I grew up in Tehran, Iran. My family moved there in 1968 when I was 10 years old. For over a decade, we considered the country our second home.