Her book, Women in Place: The Politics of Gender Segregation in Iran, seeks to capture a more nuanced picture of "the Iranian woman" and recover the histories of agency that have been erased by the Islamic Republic and internationally. Shahrokni throws into sharp relief the ways in which the state strives to constantly regulate and contain women’s bodies and movements within the boundaries of the ‘proper’ but simultaneously invests in and claims credit for their expanded access to public spaces.
She is currently working on a project titled Exclusive Rides, Inclusive Roads: Gender and the Politics of Mobility in a Global Context, a historical dive into the development of women-only taxi initiatives in Mexico City, London, Dubai, and Kuala Lumpur.
“This transregional focus was prompted by my interest in breaking the walls of regional studies by looking at ‘women only’ spaces,” Shahrokni says, “not only in Middle Eastern contexts, but in various national settings, as well as times.”
On the other hand, the link between spaces and gendered bodies in Iran continues to fascinate her. Her next book explores how women athletes' bodies are implicated in national and international politics, while also showcasing how these athletes use the opportunities that sports events afford them to challenge what is prescribed for them by national, international, and corporate actors.
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