Essay Sample on Shirin Ebadi: Nobel Peace Prize Winner & Human Rights Pioneer

Shirin Ebadi is a pioneer who is widely known for her efforts to promote human rights and democracy of Iranian women and children. In 2003, she was the first Muslim woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize, which was awarded for the best work she did in holding and promoting peace, reducing and abolishing standing armies, and at the same time for promoting fraternity between nations (Sedghi 241). Moreover, she had realized that many women and children in Iran were suffering due to a lifelong battle with the government, which limited their human rights, particularly freedom and equality. The paper will demonstrate how Shirin Ebadi's beliefs influenced the works she did and how her religious beliefs motivated her to change her part of the world.

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As a Muslim woman, lawyer, and activist, Shirin Ebadi believed that there was no justice for women and children in Iran. The role of activism influenced her works to fight for justice and equality. In her research, she realized that Muslim men could marry up to four wives and sometimes they could divorce any of them without a valid reason (Eftekhar Khansari 15). At the same time, there was an unfairness between women and men. For example, any woman who could travel was required to present written permission from her husband. Levels of inequality had augmented resulting in a dominant culture, which insisted on the interpretation of religion on favors. Scholars denote that the state of women was undesirable (Eftekhar Khansari 2). Men held higher positions of power and at many times they justified what they wanted as they were dominant in decision making. However, Shirin Ebadi as a human rights activist knew that she could help these women from oppression and inequalities. Similarly, as woman, she stood to fight for justice and these groups of Iranians who were enslaved. She helped them become free as well as herself.

Shirin Ebadi also had beliefs of promoting women's status and rights in Iran something that influenced what she did as activism. She wanted to change the paradox of sex segregation and extreme laws and policies, which restricted women to surpass men in higher education. She formed feminist movements to champion the attainment of education to women and children and at the same time access to opportunities, employment, occupational, and economic mobility. This motivated Iranian women labor force to participate in the activism and feminist movements thereby resulting in a positive influence on the works that were done by Shirin Ebadi. Conversely, Shirin Ebadi believed that many factors such as Patriarchy, which was categorized in the history and culture of Iran were to change so that they could influence new policies pertaining to the fight for women's rights and gender issues.

On the same hand, Shirin Ebadi worked as a lawyer and in her works, she helped women, and other oppressed groups such as children, journalists, and students to understand their rights for free speech and human rights. Shirin Ebadi fought to defend journalists who lacked freedom of speech in Iran (Sedghi 268). According to Freedom of Speech Law, the rights for human expression is important to human dignity since it keeps alive and free to air out their grievances. Her efforts helped to justify free speech in Iran particularly to Journalists, students, women, and children. She has also worked in children custody cased in Iran at this is an influence especially for the fight of justice and equality for children. She is the first Muslim woman to champion for the shaping of reforms to ensure that there are independence and democracy of Iranian women and children.

The religious beliefs of Shirin Ebadi led her to create a women's and children's rights activist groups which established a trend of pride, and sanguinity, and a revamped dynamism in Iran, and within women's movement (Hoodfar 8). On the verge of ennui, Shirin Ebadi championed the rights of women in Iran (Hoodfar 9). Ordinary Iranian women who got gender-based discrimination such as mandatory Islamic veil, and gender segregation in their lives. In Iran one of the most evident ways in which women were being denied freedom is the Islamic State's regulation on women's dress code. Shirin Ebadi termed the imposed "hejab" a symbol of women's extensive lack of rights (Tiefenbrun 19-20). She advocated for women to have the right to wear one feels like wearing in the public limelight, also championed for the rights of women to express themselves freely, and without restrictions (Tiefenbrun 20).

The wearing of "chador", and veil was also a form of segregation that distinguished women from men, and in that case isolated women (Tiefenbrun 27). The religious ideas of Shirin Ebadi focused on fighting for the provision of more opportunities, and equal rights for Iranian women. She had the vision of seeing a democratic Iran where the rights of both men and women were treated equally. Ebadi's anticipation for the future of Iran is grounded in the power of clarification. She identifies the need to implement a more active explanation of the Koran in order to safeguard, and offer equal rights for women. Ebad believed that "basic right form women could be definite within an Islamic framework of governance offered those in power were more persuaded to construe the faith in the spirit of equality" (Tiefenbrun 53).

Shirin Ebadi trusts in the power of the written words, and its capacity to liberate women from oppression in Iran. She stated that the inscribed word is the most influential instrument currently present to safeguard women from war, and violence in Iran (Tiefenbrun 53). Ebadi resolutely trusts that a variation for Iranian women is possible, but it must evolve peacefully from within the system without any help from foreign nations. Her religious beliefs helped to improve the conditions for women in Iran which were initially deplorable (Tiefenbrun 4). She also championed gender equality of rights through advocating for women to be given the right to wear what they feel like. It greatly helped to reduce the suicide rate as suicide bombers who previously chose to die as martyrs instead of living a life of oppression, and discrimination (Tiefenbrun 54).

Ebadi also candidly spoke against the oppression of the conformist rulers who stripped women of fundamental human rights, and their partisan, and social liberation (Hoodfar 12). Her religious believes were centered on 1979 Revolution, and was as disillusioned as Nafisi with the manner in which Iran had their strict interpretation of the Koran (Tiefenbrun 55). Ebadi was able to transform the Iranian society from being patriarchy or male-centered in nature to a society that gave women opportunities that enhanced social, and economic dependence such that they did not have to depend on men for survival.

By 2004, Ebadi had been able to establish a different joint meeting between several women organizations to deliberate priorities, demands, and reforms (Hoodfar 9). Undoubtedly, the legal reforms that delved into areas of family law, and the constitution were the most demanding matters (Hoodfar 9). The organizers and activists such as Ebadi felt that by addressing the above issues, the risk of police cruelty would be reduced before the elections began, as authorities would not want to be castigated for interfering with the peaceful rallies (Hoodfar 9-10). The diversity of the groups and activists gathering together was highly important. It comprised both nonspiritual, and religious women; rich, and poor, and it demonstrated the ability to rally and conduct a joint action towards enhancing equality in the rights of women in Iran. The beliefs of Ebad on establishing a trend of pride, and sanguinity, and a revamped strength in Iran, led to women's space, voice, and visibility to be enhanced in Iran. Currently women have access to new skills, and capacities through equal rights of education in Iran (Batliwala 83-84). Finally, a democratic, and transparent structure of women's movement leadership and governance has been developed in Iran (Batliwala 83-84).

Conclusion

In conclusion, Shirin Ebadi's religious beliefs and works impact part of her world positively. As an activist, she advocated for the development of movements against oppression particularly of women and children and at the same time, dignity and equality. Shirin Ebadi believes that there is no religion that dictates violence and inequality against women. Similarly, women human rights in the Muslim world champions for the abolition of discrimination and ideological foundations that lead to the oppression of women and children. Her religious beliefs had significant influence on the lives of Iranian women and this transformed them to struggle for human rights.

Works Cited

Batliwala, Srilatha. Changing their world: Concepts and practices of women's movements. Association for Women's Rights in Development (AWID), Toronto, CA, 2008. pp. 1-98. Retrieved from: https://www.awid.org/sites/default/files/atoms/files/changing_their_world_2ed_full_eng.pdf

Eftekhar Khansari, Tina. Women, self and life transformation in an Iranian spiritual movement" Inter-universal Mysticism": a feminist perspective. Diss. University of York, 2013. Retrieved from: http://etheses.whiterose.ac.uk/4552/1/Tina%20Eftekhar%20PhD%20Thesis.pdf

Hoodfar, Homa. Against All Odds: The Building of a Women's Movement in the Islamic Republic of Iran. AWID (Association for Women's rights In Development), 2008. pp. 1-20. Retrieved from: https://www.awid.org/sites/default/files/atoms/files/changing_their_world_-_building_of_a_womens_movement_in_the_islamic_republic_of_iran.pdf

Sedghi, Hamideh. Women and politics in Iran: Veiling, Unveiling, and revealing. Cambridge University Press, 2007. Retrieved from: https://www.sssup.it/UploadDocs/14639_7_R_Women_and_Politics_in_Iran__Veiling_Unveiling_and_Reveiling_Hamideh_Sedghi.pdf

Tiefenbrun, Susan W. "The Semiotics of Women's Human Rights in Iran." Conn. J. Int'l L. 23 (2007): 1-83. Retrieved from: https://www.tjsl.edu/sites/default/files/susan_tiefenbrun_the_semiotics_of_womens_human_rights_in_iran_23_conn._j._ints_l._1_2007.pdf