
Shirin Ebadi
The 2001 Rafto Prize was awarded to Shirin Ebadi (1947) for her struggle for human rights and democracy in Iran, and in particular, her fight for the rights of women and children.
Shirin Ebadi is an Iranian lawyer, human rights activist and founder of Children's Right Support Association in Iran. She struggles for the strengthening of the legal status of children and women. At great personal risk she used her position as a lawyer and a university professor to promote human rights in the Islamic society of Iran.
Ebadi was the first female judge in Iran, but was forced to resign after the revolution in 1979. Conservative clerics insisted that Islam prohibit women from becoming judges. Ebadi was not able to practice as a lawyer until 1993. During this time she wrote books and articles in Iranian periodicals, which made her widely known .
Shirin Ebadi is an outstanding representative of the Iranian reform movement, and her work is universally recognized. She is a practicing Muslim, but she is a firm believer that Islam can be interpreted in accordance with democratic ideals and human rights. Shirin Ebadi was awarded the 2003 Nobel Peace Prize.
Other laureates

Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara

Defence for Children International-Palestine (DCIP)

Nodjigoto Charbonnel

Human Rights Data Analysis Group

Egyptian Commission for Rights and Freedoms

Rouba Mhaissen

Ombudsman Adam Bodnar

Parveena Ahangar & Parvez Imroz

Yanar Mohammed

Padre Melo

Agora - Pavel Chikov

Bahrain Center for Human Rights

Nnimmo Bassey

Sexual Minorities Uganda

José Raúl Vera López

Malahat Nasibova

Bulambo Lembelembe Josué

National Campaign on Dalit Human Rights

Thích Quảng Độ

Lidia Yusupova

Rebiya Kadeer

Paulos Tesfagiorgis

Sidi Mohammed Daddach

Kim Dae-jung

Gennady Grushevoy

ECPAT

Ian Hancock

Palermo Anno Uno

Committee of Soldiers' Mothers of Russia

Leyla Zana

José Ramos-Horta

Preah Maha Ghosananda

Yelena Bonner

Aung San Suu Kyi

Doina Cornea

FIDESZ - Péter Molnár

Trivimi Velliste
