Shirin Ebadi (Persian: شیرین عبادی) is an Iranian lawyer, writer, teacher, former judge, and Nobel Peace Prize laureate whose work has shaped global conversations about human rights, especially the rights of women, children, and refugees. Raised in an educated family in Tehran, she pursued law at the University of Tehran and became one of the first female judges in Iran, eventually leading the Tehran city court before being removed from the judiciary after the 1979 Revolution. Unable to practice law for years, she used that time to write influential books and articles and later built a legal career defined by principled advocacy. Her cases often centered on political dissidents, victims of state violence, and vulnerable children, including families targeted during the chain murders of intellectuals and the students harmed in the 1999 protests. Her pro bono work exposed systemic contradictions in custody laws, criminal procedure, and the treatment of minors, bringing international attention to issues that the Iranian courts preferred to keep hidden. She also represented clients in high-profile political cases, including those involving banned publications, activists, and families of murdered or imprisoned dissidents. Ebadi helped found key civil society institutions such as the Society for Protecting the Rights of the Child and the Defenders of Human Rights Center, playing a central role in shaping Iran’s emerging human-rights movement. In her writings, she has argued that Islam can coexist with democracy and gender equality, insisting that restrictive interpretations serve political power rather than religious principle. Her political views combine deep Iranian nationalism with strong criticism of both domestic authoritarianism and Western policies, and she has often spoken out against foreign intervention. Her Nobel Peace Prize recognized her role as a courageous advocate for democratic reform and human dignity, and after receiving it she expanded her international work through lectures, books, and global initiatives, including co-founding the Nobel Women’s Initiative. Her prize also intensified pressure from Iranian authorities, leading to harassment, threats, and the seizure of her belongings, which pushed her into exile in London. From abroad she has continued to defend prisoners of conscience, support campaigns for women’s rights, and call for democratic reforms. Her later statements have emphasized that Iran’s political system cannot be reformed without broad structural change, and she has urged the global community to support peaceful movements inside the country. Ebadi remains a prominent voice in international human rights law, contributing to global discussions on justice, nonviolence, and the protection of vulnerable communities.