Iran’s Narges Mohammadi wins Nobel Peace Prize for women’s rights

Jailed Narges Mohammadi, an Iranian human rights activist, has won the 2023 Nobel Peace Prize for her “fight against the oppression of women in Iran.”

Narges Mohammadi, an Iranian women rights’ activist, was awarded with the 2023 Nobel Peace Prize on 6 October. It is a huge victory for women’s rights. The Norwegian Nobel Committee has also lauded Narges Mohammadi for promoting women’s rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran. The committee honored the activist for “her fight to promote human rights and freedom for all.”

Berit Reiss-Andersen, head of the Norwegian Nobel Committee, lauded her brave struggle against the Iranian authorities. Reiss-Andersen further said that the Iranian regime arrested Narges Mohammadi 13 times, convicted her 5 times and sentenced her to 31 years in prison. 

Who is Narges Mohammadi?

Narges Mohammadi is the vice president of the Defenders of Human Rights Center, which is headed by another Nobel Peace Prize laureate Shirin Ebadi. In her career, the Iranian women’s rights activist worked as an engineer and a columnist for various media organizations. 

Narges Mohammadi has always fought to promote women’s rights in the country. Narges Mohammadi fought against the Iranian regime for the promotion of human rights in Iran.

Initially, she was arrested in 2011 for helping jailed activists. She was released from jail on bail. After her release, she started fighting against Iran’s death penalty laws. However, she was re-arrested in 2015. When she returned to the jail, she started her fight against the Iranian regime’s systematic use of torture and sexual violence against women.

Despite being in jail, she participated in women-led protests against the Iranian government and the morality police that rocked last year over the untimely death of Mahsa Amini. She and the other inmates raised voices against the Iranian regime.

She is the second Iranian woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize after human rights activist Shirin Ebadi won the prestigious award in 2003.

The winner of the prestigious award gets $1 million. Winners also get an 18-carat gold medal and diploma.