More than two thousand years ago, in the kingdom of Persia—modern-day Iran—a young Jewish woman found herself in a palace she did not choose, in a position she did not seek, facing a moment that would define history.

And yet, she changed the fate of her people.

When her adoptive father Mordechai challenged her—“Who knows if you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?”—Esther understood that leadership is not about comfort. It is about responsibility. She risked her life by approaching the king uninvited. She revealed her identity. She spoke truth at the very heart of power.

Her courage echoes across centuries.

Nowhere is that courage more visible today than among the women of Iran.

In the very land where Esther once stood in the corridors of empire, women are again standing at the gates of power. They remove their hijabs in protest. They march in the streets despite imprisonment and brutality. They demand dignity, equality, and freedom in the face of immense repression.

I have had the privilege of knowing extraordinary Iranian women in the diaspora who continue this legacy of courage. These non-Jewish women are not afraid to collaborate with Israeli women despite the risk of being blacklisted or harassed online and within their own communities.

Through the Women Champions for Change (WCC) network and the Abraham Women’s Alliance (AWA), two leaders stand out in their unwavering commitment to amplify the voices of the people of Iran and the wider MENA region.

Shirin Taber, an Iranian American leader, has dedicated her life to advancing women’s rights and religious freedom in the Middle East. Through her organization—Empowerment Woman Media (EWM)—she has worked tirelessly to build bridges, empower women of faith, and challenge extremism through media, education and leadership gathering.

Shirin understands, as Esther did, that influence demands wisdom, strategy, and the ability to tell a powerful story. Over the past three years, she has led women’s summits in Marrakesh, New York, Los Angeles, DC, London, Dubai, Cairo, Islamabad, Abuja and Beirut. This week, during Purim, she will convene 65 women from 20 Abrahamic countries in Malta for the Abraham Women’s Alliance Summit with plans to share her experience in Israel for International Women’s Day next week.

The symbolism is striking as we recall Esther’s bravery in Persia, women from across the Abrahamic world will gather to foster peaceful, multi-faith societies.

Nazanin Afshin Jam Mackay, Iranian Canadian author and human rights advocate, is internationally recognized for leading the campaign that saved a young Iranian woman from execution and for founding Stop Child Executions. She has campaigned to shut down the Islamic Republic’s embassy in Ottawa, pushed to have the IRGC designated as a terrorist organization in Canada, and advocated successfully for Iran’s removal from the UN Commission on the Status of Women. She has helped lead the global movement to end gender apartheid in Iran and Afghanistan, built a network of 100 Iranian diaspora groups and 200 opposition activists, and worked with government officials to impose sanctions on regime and judiciary figures responsible for death sentences.

After hearing of the news of the death of Grand Ayatollah Ali Khamenai, Nazanin said:

“The Iranian people are celebrating the elimination of their main oppressor. The world is a safer place!

“The Iranian people are celebrating the elimination of their main oppressor. The world is a safer place!

Her feelings were echoed around the world—even in my hometown of Sydney, where less than three months ago people were mourning the victims of the Bondi massacre.

Now, in those same streets, Iranian, Israeli, and American flags are raised side by side—not in grief, but in solidarity.

It is a powerful reminder that even in places marked by tragedy, people can still choose hope. And when communities stand together across borders, faiths, and histories, they affirm something stronger than fear: the belief that freedom, dignity, and life itself are worth celebrating.

Celebrating life and freedom in Sydney with Iranian, Israeli and American flags.

Last September, Nazanin joined a group of Israeli and MENA ( Middle East and North Africa)  women leaders at the WCC conference in Israel, reaffirming that principled advocacy knows no borders. Both Shirin and Nazanin carry Iran in their hearts. Both represent a generation of women who refuse silence. And both demonstrate that leadership is not confined by geography—it is defined by courage. To convene Jewish, Muslim, Christian, and regional women leaders during Purim is more than coincidence. It is a statement. It affirms that the legacy of Esther is not one of division, but of moral clarity and responsible leadership. It affirms that women can stand at the crossroads of history and choose courage over fear.

 I have seen firsthand how women—whether in boardrooms, refugee camps, sports arenas, diplomatic forums, or protest movements—transform societies when they choose to act.

Queen Esther worked from within the palace. Iranian women today resist from streets, classrooms, courtrooms, and prison cells. The settings are different. The risks are strikingly similar.

What unites them is this: the refusal to accept injustice as inevitable.

On International Women’s Day, we often celebrate achievement—titles, milestones, accolades. But the deeper story of women’s leadership is about risk. About the moment a woman decides that silence is no longer an option.

Esther did not know how her story would end when she stepped forward.

The women of Iran do not know how theirs will end either.

But history teaches us something enduring: when women act with moral clarity, history shifts.

The story of Persia did not end with Esther. It continues today—in the bravery of Iranian women inside the country, in the activism of leaders like Shirin Taber and Nazanin Afshin Jam Mackay, and in the collective gatherings of women determined to build a different future.

Perhaps, like Esther, they too have risen for such a time as this.

© The Times of Israel (Blogs)