Shirin Ebadi (1947-present) is a woman of firsts. She is the first woman in Iran to serve as a judge, as well as the first Muslim woman and Iranian to win the Nobel Peace Prize.
Shirin Ebadi (1947-present) is a woman of firsts. She is the first woman in Iran to serve as a judge, as well as the first Muslim woman and Iranian to win the Nobel Peace Prize.
Women’s contributions to peacekeeping efforts are often overlooked, but no more. This month on Womanica we're highlighting women who have spearheaded peacekeeping initiatives all over the world — from India to South Africa to the United States. We cover women like Doria Shafik who led Egypt’s female liberation movement, as well as Coretta Scott King who was a fierce advocate for equality for Black Americans and a leader in the Civil Rights Movement. Tune in to hear the stories of women who were integral to creating peace in their communities.
History classes can get a bad rap, and sometimes for good reason. When we were students, we couldn’t help wondering... where were all the ladies at? Why were so many incredible stories missing from the typical curriculum? Enter, Womanica. On this Wonder Media Network podcast we explore the lives of inspiring women in history you may not know about, but definitely should.
Every weekday, listeners explore the trials, tragedies, and triumphs of groundbreaking women throughout history who have dramatically shaped the world around us. In each 5 minute episode, we’ll dive into the story behind one woman listeners may or may not know–but definitely should. These diverse women from across space and time are grouped into easily accessible and engaging monthly themes like Educators, Villains, Indigenous Storytellers, Activists, and many more. Womanica is hosted by WMN co-founder and award-winning journalist Jenny Kaplan. The bite-sized episodes pack painstakingly researched content into fun, entertaining, and addictive daily adventures.
Womanica was created by Liz Kaplan and Jenny Kaplan, executive produced by Jenny Kaplan, and produced by Liz Smith, Grace Lynch, Maddy Foley, Brittany Martinez, Edie Allard, Lindsey Kratochwill, Adesuwa Agbonile, Carmen Borca-Carrillo, Taylor Williamson, Ale Tejeda, Sara Schleede, Abbey Delk, and Alex Jhamb Burns. Special thanks to Shira Atkins.
Original theme music composed by Miles Moran.
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Hello! From Wonder Media Network, I’m Meltem Burak. I’m the host and producer of the podcast Sesta. We aim to harness the power of arts and culture to foster conversation and build peace in Cyprus. I’ll be your guest host for this month of Womanica.
This month, we’re highlighting Peacebuilders. In times of conflict, these women stepped in, bringing their creativity and insight to help facilitate peace across the globe.
Today, we’re talking about a woman of firsts. The first woman in Iran to serve as a judge. The first Muslim woman, and the first Iranian, to win the Nobel Peace Prize. And she might make you think about how deeply connected peace, justice and equality, are.
Let’s take about Shirin Ebadi.
Shirin Ebadi was born in 1946, in Hamadan, in northwest Iran. When she was still a baby, Shirin and her family moved to Tehran, the country’s capital. The Ebadi’s valued learning, and Shirin, her sister, and her two brothers were all highly educated.
In 1965, when she was 19 years old, Shirin earned a spot at the University of Tehran’s Law School. She graduated in just three and a half years. By 1969, she was serving as a judge for the Justice Department. She became the first woman judge in all of Iran.
Shirin continued to shine professionally, earning a doctorate degree in 1971. At 29 years old, she became the head of the city court in Tehran. But the Islamic Revolution was on the horizon. And it would change Shirin’s life dramatically.
In February of 1979, Shirin and all other women judges were removed from their positions. They were labeled as “fickle and indecisive and unfit” just because of their gender. They were reassigned as clerks, in the courts they had once run. Shirin was furious. Her protests had some effect. She and her female peers were promoted to “experts.” But women were banned from the bench. Shirin couldn’t bear the idea of helping out in the courtroom that she’d once run. So she left.
Shirin says she was essentially housebound for years. She couldn’t serve as a judge, and the bar association wouldn’t give her a license. But unlike many of her peers, she stayed in Iran. She was determined to fight for her country.
In 1992, Shirin finally got a lawyer’s license, and opened up her own practice. She was now 46 years old, and a lot had changed since she’d last practiced law. Shirin started taking on clients whose stories were like hers. Women, children, free thinkers – people who had fearlessly taken on the Islamic republic, and those who nobody else would defend.
In 1999, a series of murders shook the community University of Tehran. Shirin represented the victims’ family. The killings were later pinned on government officials who had gone rogue.
The next year, in June, Shirin was arrested and thrown in jail for three weeks. She and another lawyer were accused of sharing a taped confession from a vigilante militia member. In 2002, she founded the Human Rights Defenders Center. She’d become one of Iran’s most prominent activists.
In 2003, Shirin was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, for her work defending the rights of women and children. Shirin was the first Muslim person, and the first Iranian, to win the award. Shirin hadn’t even known she was nominated. When asked about her win, she said, "There is no contradiction between Islam and human rights," she said. "If a country abuses human rights in the name of Islam, then it is not the fault of Islam."
For Shirin, fighting for the rights of others is a path to peace. I think that’s important to remember – that conflict can actually lead to peace. Especially if we’re fighting towards justice and equality.
Shirin finally left Iran in 2009. She lives in the UK, in exile. But even from across an ocean, she keeps fighting for the rights of all people.
She’s said, “Just imagine if you’re in a boat and it breaks down in the middle of the sea. Is there any other way but to swim? If one becomes tired and discontinues swimming, that person will sink. We have to be hopeful.”
All month, we’re talking about peacebuilders. For more information, find us on Facebook and Instagram @womanicapodcast.
Special thanks to co-creators Jenny and Liz Kaplan for having me on as a guest host.
Talk to you tomorrow!