Shirin Ebadi's struggle for human rights in Iran has earned her the 2003 Nobel Peace Prize. Ebadi, 56, is a longtime defender of the rights of women and children. In recent years, she has taken up the cause of people who oppose Iran's government. Ebadi is the first Iranian and first Muslim woman to be awarded the Peace Prize.
"This prize doesn't belong to me only," says Ebadi, who won the prize on October 10. "It belongs to all people who work for human rights and democracy in Iran."
The prize is one of the world's greatest honors. It is named after Alfred Nobel, who invented dynamite in the 1800s. Nobel left his fortune to reward people who work for the "good of humanity" in the sciences, literature and world affairs. This year, each prize is worth $1.3 million.
Ebadi, one of Iran's first female judges, was jailed for 23 days three years ago. "She is very brave," says her husband, Javad Tavassolian.
Ebadi's mother, Mino, 79, has long been proud of her daughter. "I cried all day" when the prize was announced, she told TIME. "We always encouraged our children to be active in society. I always wanted to become just like Shirin became."