Shirin Ebadi was the first Iranian, the third Muslim and the 11th woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize award along with India’s Mother Teresa of Calcutta and Burma’s Daw Aung San Suu Kyi.

The 56-year-old lawyer and human rights activist is a formidable force behind reforming family laws by calling for change in divorce and inheritance legislation. Her campaigns for democracy and greater rights for the women and children of Iran made her highly controversial in the Middle East especially when pitted against conservative clerics.

Shirin is soft-spoken on the outside but inversely tough inside. When she was jailed after coming… Continue reading

Women are undoubtedly adept at managing households but in the new millennium, woman are not only tied to their chores at home. Since a record breaking number of female candidates running for office was achieved early in 2000, women debunk the sexist myth limiting political seats to males. The 2008 US Elections, in particular, have ensured that women do have a place in the White House.

Four personalities figure prominently in the 2008 race for the White House. One was close to clinching the title as the first woman presidential candidate and another still awaits her vice presidency status. Two others… Continue reading