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Azadi Means Freedom

Fighting for gender equity through the world's most popular game

Author Maryam Shojaei

Hardcover

$19.95 US

Seven Stories Press | Triangle Square

5-1/2"W x 8-1/4"H (14.0 x 21.0 cm) | 12 oz (350 g) | 12 per carton

On sale Apr 14, 2026 | 192 Pages | 9781644214893

Age 14 and up | Grade 9 & Up

Sales rights: World except UK/Ireland

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A young woman activist takes on her government and the world's most powerful sports body, FIFA, to fight for women and girl's rights in her country.

The sister of one of Iran's biggest soccer stars describes her battle against the stadium ban in a thrilling, inspiring story for anyone YA and up.

Maryam Shojaei's brother, Masoud, was captain of Iran's national team and player in three World Cup tournaments. But Maryam and her mother and sister never saw him play in Tehran's famous Azadi Stadium. For forty years no woman--not one of the over 40 million women and girls in that country--has been allowed in any stadium, except for those brave enough to sneak in disguised as men and run the risk of being arrested and imprisoned.

"Azadi" means freedom in Iran's Persian language.

Here is Maryam's story of taking on her own government and a global sports organization to fight for girls' and women's rights. Azadi Means Freedom is both a fascinating look into life in modern Iran for young women today, and also a personal story filled with intrigue and danger. Maryam travels the globe to battle the stadium ban, is detained and beaten, but her story is also covered in international news. With the support of activist friends and her beloved family--and the stories of other protesters like the Blue Girl and the White Scarves movement--she reaches the powerful halls of FIFA and the United Nations to plead her case.

Here is an inspiring story for every activist, sports fan, soccer player, and fighter for women's rights around the world.

“A moving tale about the importance of one’s voice to make a change. Maryam’s story is an inspirational reminder of the power of perseverance. This story and its message will stay with me.” —Aisha Saeed, New York Times bestselling author of Amal Unbound

"Maryam Shojaei’s book Azadi Means Freedom: Fighting for gender equity through the world's most popular game, is a truly passionate and informative account of her activism and perseverance in the fight to lift the Iranian Stadium ban on Women. But Maryam’s story is not just about a stadium ban, it is about love of family, about the power of sports as a tool for diplomacy, about friendships and a shared humanity, and it is about the constant need to keep fighting for the basic human rights of women everywhere. Wonderful read!"—Kely Nascimento, co-founder of HADAF Global and daughter of soccer legend Pelé

"Despite its name, which means freedom in Farsi, women were barred from entering Tehran’s Azadi Stadium until 2019, something activist and soccer fan Shojaei was determined to change.

"Following the 1979 Islamic Revolution, women lost many personal freedoms. For Shojaei, challenging the stadium ban became a way to increase awareness about rampant repression. In 2014, while she was living in Washington, D.C., she launched her online campaign, “My Fundamental Rights.” It evolved into a movement that took her to soccer tournaments worldwide as well as FIFA and UNESCO headquarters. Standing on the shoulders of other brave Iranian women, Shojaei used her position as a naturalized Canadian citizen and the support of her brother Masoud, captain of the Iranian National Soccer Team, to challenge FIFA to uphold its own gender nondiscrimination rules. This inspiring, tightly focused narrative highlights Shojaei’s fight for equality and the dangers she faced; it doesn’t mention the struggles of the Iranian women’s national soccer team. Shojaei’s fierce authenticity shines through her prose, bolstering the already compelling narrative. Three early chapters offer an abridged history of Iran, and occasional black-and-white photos heighten the story’s impact by providing visual context. Shojaei, who was awarded the Sport for Human Rights Award in 2019, emphasizes community and solidarity, stating that she accepted “on behalf of all the women’s rights activists in Iran who had been fighting for this cause for years.”

"A riveting account showing that change can begin with a dream. (Nonfiction. 13-18)."
—Kirkus Reviews

Iranian-Canadian civil rights activist MARYAM SHOJAEI founded #NoBan4Women for which she was awarded an ESPN Sports Humanitarian Award for the advancement of women’s rights and social justice through sport among other awards. She received her masters degree in Peace Operations from George Mason University. She now resides in Tehran where she advocates for children's rights.

Maryam Shojaei View titles by Maryam Shojaei

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• Malaysia

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• Marshall island

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• Mayotte

• Mexico

• Micronesia

• Minor Outl.Ins.

• Moldavia

• Monaco

• Mongolia

• Montenegro

• Montserrat

• Morocco

• Mozambique

• Myanmar

• Namibia

• Nauru

• Nepal

• Netherlands

• New Caledonia

• New Zealand

• Nicaragua

• Niger

• Nigeria

• Niue

• Norfolk Island

• North Korea

• North Mariana

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• Rwanda

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• Saint Martin

• Samoa,American

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• SaoTome Princip

• Saudi Arabia

• Senegal

• Serbia

• Seychelles

• Sierra Leone

• Singapore

• Sint Maarten

• Slovakia

• Slovenia

• Solomon Islands

• Somalia

• South Africa

• South Korea

• South Sudan

• Spain

• Sri Lanka

• St Barthelemy

• St. Helena

• St. Lucia

• St. Vincent

• St.Chr.,Nevis

• St.Pier,Miquel.

• Sth Terr. Franc

• Sudan

• Suriname

• Svalbard

• Swaziland

• Sweden

• Switzerland

• Syria

• Tadschikistan

• Taiwan

• Tanzania

• Thailand

• Timor-Leste

• Togo

• Tokelau Islands

• Tonga

• Trinidad,Tobago

• Tunisia

• Turkey

• Turkmenistan

• Turks&Caicos Is

• Tuvalu

• US Virgin Is.

• USA

• Uganda

• Ukraine

• Unit.Arab Emir.

• Uruguay

• Uzbekistan

• Vanuatu

• Vatican City

• Venezuela

• Vietnam

• Wallis,Futuna

• West Saharan

• Western Samoa

• Yemen

• Zambia

• Zimbabwe

Not available for sale:

• Guernsey

• Ireland

• Isle of Man

• Jersey

• United Kingdom

About

Praise

Author

Maryam Shojaei View titles by Maryam Shojaei

Rights

Available for sale exclusive:

• Afghanistan

• Aland Islands

• Albania

• Algeria

• Andorra

• Angola

• Anguilla

• Antarctica

• Antigua/Barbuda

• Argentina

• Armenia

• Aruba

• Australia

• Austria

• Azerbaijan

• Bahamas

• Bahrain

• Bangladesh

• Barbados

• Belarus

• Belgium

• Belize

• Benin

• Bermuda

• Bhutan

• Bolivia

• Bonaire, Saba

• Bosnia Herzeg.

• Botswana

• Bouvet Island

• Brazil

• Brit.Ind.Oc.Ter

• Brit.Virgin Is.

• Brunei

• Bulgaria

• Burkina Faso

• Burundi

• Cambodia

• Cameroon

• Canada

• Cape Verde

• Cayman Islands

• Centr.Afr.Rep.

• Chad

• Chile

• China

• Christmas Islnd

• Cocos Islands

• Colombia

• Comoro Is.

• Congo

• Cook Islands

• Costa Rica

• Croatia

• Cuba

• Curacao

• Cyprus

• Czech Republic

• Dem. Rep. Congo

• Denmark

• Djibouti

• Dominica

• Dominican Rep.

• Ecuador

• Egypt

• El Salvador

• Equatorial Gui.

• Eritrea

• Estonia

• Ethiopia

• Falkland Islnds

• Faroe Islands

• Fiji

• Finland

• France

• Fren.Polynesia

• French Guinea

• Gabon

• Gambia

• Georgia

• Germany

• Ghana

• Gibraltar

• Greece

• Greenland

• Grenada

• Guadeloupe

• Guam

• Guatemala

• Guinea Republic

• Guinea-Bissau

• Guyana

• Haiti

• Heard/McDon.Isl

• Honduras

• Hong Kong

• Hungary

• Iceland

• India

• Indonesia

• Iran

• Iraq

• Israel

• Italy

• Ivory Coast

• Jamaica

• Japan

• Jordan

• Kazakhstan

• Kenya

• Kiribati

• Kuwait

• Kyrgyzstan

• Laos

• Latvia

• Lebanon

• Lesotho

• Liberia

• Libya

• Liechtenstein

• Lithuania

• Luxembourg

• Macau

• Macedonia

• Madagascar

• Malawi

• Malaysia

• Maldives

• Mali

• Malta

• Marshall island

• Martinique

• Mauritania

• Mauritius

• Mayotte

• Mexico

• Micronesia

• Minor Outl.Ins.

• Moldavia

• Monaco

• Mongolia

• Montenegro

• Montserrat

• Morocco

• Mozambique

• Myanmar

• Namibia

• Nauru

• Nepal

• Netherlands

• New Caledonia

• New Zealand

• Nicaragua

• Niger

• Nigeria

• Niue

• Norfolk Island

• North Korea

• North Mariana

• Norway

• Oman

• Pakistan

• Palau

• Palestinian Ter

• Panama

• PapuaNewGuinea

• Paraguay

• Peru

• Philippines

• Pitcairn Islnds

• Poland

• Portugal

• Puerto Rico

• Qatar

• Reunion Island

• Romania

• Russian Fed.

• Rwanda

• S. Sandwich Ins

• Saint Martin

• Samoa,American

• San Marino

• SaoTome Princip

• Saudi Arabia

• Senegal

• Serbia

• Seychelles

• Sierra Leone

• Singapore

• Sint Maarten

• Slovakia

• Slovenia

• Solomon Islands

• Somalia

• South Africa

• South Korea

• South Sudan

• Spain

• Sri Lanka

• St Barthelemy

• St. Helena

• St. Lucia

• St. Vincent

• St.Chr.,Nevis

• St.Pier,Miquel.

• Sth Terr. Franc

• Sudan

• Suriname

• Svalbard

• Swaziland

• Sweden

• Switzerland

• Syria

• Tadschikistan

• Taiwan

• Tanzania

• Thailand

• Timor-Leste

• Togo

• Tokelau Islands

• Tonga

• Trinidad,Tobago

• Tunisia

• Turkey

• Turkmenistan

• Turks&Caicos Is

• Tuvalu

• US Virgin Is.

• USA

• Uganda

• Ukraine

• Unit.Arab Emir.

• Uruguay

• Uzbekistan

• Vanuatu

• Vatican City

• Venezuela

• Vietnam

• Wallis,Futuna

• West Saharan

• Western Samoa

• Yemen

• Zambia

• Zimbabwe

Not available for sale:

• Guernsey

• Ireland

• Isle of Man

• Jersey

• United Kingdom

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Azadi Means Freedom

Fighting for gender equity through the world's most popular game

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Fighting for gender equity through the world's most popular game

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