Afsaneh Najmabadi was born on December 29, 1946, in Iran. She started as a student at University of Tehran, and moved to Radcliffe College in 1966. She obtained her BA in physics in 1968 from Radcliffe College, Harvard University, and her MA in physics in 1970 from Harvard University. Following this, she pursued social studies, combining academic interests with engagement in social activism, first in the United States of America and later in Iran. She obtained her PhD in sociology in 1984 from the University of Manchester, United Kingdom
