Ebadi, Shirin, << eh BAH dee, shee REEN >> (1947-…), is an Iranian lawyer, writer, and activist who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2003. She was the first Iranian and the first Muslim woman to win the Peace Prize. She received the award for her efforts to promote democracy and human rights, both in Iran and in other countries. Much of Ebadi’s work has focused on freedom of speech and the rights of women and children. Throughout her career, Ebadi has called for a modern interpretation of Islamic law that is consistent with the values of freedom, equality, and democracy. She was one of Iran’s first female judges.
Ebadi began serving as a judge on the city court of Tehran in 1975. However, she was forced to leave the court after Muslim revolutionaries took control of the government in 1979. The revolutionaries declared Iran an Islamic republic and established a new government based on strict interpretations of Islamic law. The new government introduced a number of restrictions on personal freedoms, including widespread limitations on women’s rights.
Since the revolution, Ebadi has worked to bring about reform through nonviolent methods. Through her legal practice, she has sought to raise the status of women and children in society. She has challenged Iranian laws governing such family issues as divorce, domestic abuse, and inheritance. She has also defended the rights of individuals and groups persecuted by government authorities. Her criticism of government policy and involvement with activist groups have led to her imprisonment on several occasions. In 2009, Norway’s foreign ministry announced that the government of Iran had confiscated Ebadi’s Nobel medal. Iran denied the charge.
Ebadi was born on June 21, 1947, in Hamadan, Iran. She earned a law degree from the University of Tehran in 1971. Ebadi has taught at the University of Tehran and written numerous books on law and human rights. Her works include The Rights of the Child: A Study on Legal Aspects of Children’s Rights in Iran (1994), History and Documentation of Human Rights in Iran (2000), The Rights of Women (2002), Iran Awakening: One Woman’s Journey to Reclaim Her Life and Country (2007), Refugee Rights in Iran (2008), and The Golden Cage: Three Brothers, Three Choices, One Destiny (2011).
See also Iran (Revolution and the Islamic Republic) .
