Meet the Women’s Initiatives Receiving Donations from our Iran-Sudan Fundraiser

When Stories from the Beauty Parlor began, we started from scratch in one of the most underfunded areas of SDGs. Why would we enter such a difficult field? Well, we’ll give you a story from our Iran-Sudan Fundraiser that sums it all up:

Late in the evening, blurry and beautiful on the dance floor, an Iranian participant at our fundraiser asked:

“How would the donation money reach the right people in Tehran?”

“Did you see the enchanting older woman here tonight?” we said. “She is a longstanding feminist activist with all the right connections to get the funds safely where they need to go.”

Her eyes went wide.

“Oh, my god! I saw her earlier and thought I was dreaming! I went to her house in Tehran 10–15 years ago as a young feminist organizer. She was the one who told us what to do if we got into trouble with the police or ended up in prison. And now I saw her here tonight?!”

That interaction is everything.

Our female-led organization has created a community space for women who faced repression, war, and displacement. Feminist organizing never disappears; instead, it migrates like birds. It crosses borders and cross-pollinates with other movements and women, despite their differences and similarities.

Ultimately, creating spaces for this joy, this hope — and fundraising for its survival — is one of the greatest privileges for us!

Read more about our initiatives from the fundraiser in our slides below!