Dania Iskandari

1 Apr 2021

What must it be like for a young woman who has never travelled outside of their very conservative Muslim culture until they arrive on the Gold Coast, a city that embodies the freedom of expression and choice in just about every aspect of its lifestyle?

If you were that young woman how would you react to being suddenly exposed to this very liberated way of living? What happens when you are confronted by choices that can provide you with opportunities that you would otherwise have only ever dreamt of? What happens when what may seem the most harmless of moves you make on social media by western standards can be scrutinised to the point where you could potentially bring dishonour to your family name? You have to be really careful about your actions.

Dania Iskandari is from Iran, a country that is stringently governed by its Islamic and autocratic Supreme Leader and where its people have faced significant restraints with regard to human rights and civil liberties. As such there are aspects of Dania's life and her family which are best not discussed in our conversation. Dania has just completed her Bachelor Degree in Psychology at Griffith University and is now planning to start her new life and career here in Australia.


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