Shirin Ebadi

Shirin Ebadi, Iranian human rights activist and lawyer, was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in October 2003. She is the first Iranian and Muslim woman to receive the prize. Born in 1947 in Hamadan, Iran, Ebadi received a law degree from the University of Tehran and became one of the first female judges in Iran. She was forced to resign her position following the Islamic Revolution in Iran in 1979 and has been working  ever  since,  at  great  risk  of  her  own  safety,  as  a  lawyer,  writer  and  university  professor  to advocate for human rights, especially for Iranian women and children. A practicing Muslim, Shirin Ebadi advocates  that  Islam  can  and  must  be  interpreted  with  respect  for  democratic  ideals,  equality  and
human  rights.  Shirin  Ebadi  has  also  received  numerous  other  international  awards  and
acknowledgments including Rafto Human Rights Prize in 2001 and the  Légion d’honneuur, one of the most  important  French  distinctions  in  2006,  as  well  as  a  great  number  of  honorary  degrees  and doctorates from the most prestigious universities all over the world.  

Closing lecture