Shirin Ebadi ( "Širin Ebādi"; born 21 June 1947) is an Iranian lawyer, a former judge and human rights activist. She is the founder of Defenders of Human Rights Center in Iran. On 10 October 2003, Ebadi was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for her "significant and pioneering efforts for democracy and human rights, especially women's, children's, and refugee rights". She was the first ever Iranian to receive the prize.