Narges Mohammadi Awarded 2023 Nobel Peace Prize for Advocacy of Women’s Rights and Freedom

The Nobel Peace Prize for 2023 was awarded to Narges Mohammadi on Friday for her courageous efforts in combating the oppression of women in Iran and her tireless advocacy for human rights and freedom for all. The announcement came from the Norwegian Nobel Institute in Oslo.

The Institute acknowledged the hundreds of thousands of individuals who, in the previous year, protested against the discriminatory and oppressive policies of Iran’s theocratic regime, particularly those directed at women. The demonstrators adopted the motto “Woman – Life – Freedom,” which aptly reflects Narges Mohammadi’s dedication and work.

While the names of the nominees were kept secret this year, it was reported that over 350 individuals and groups were under consideration.

In the prior year, the Nobel Peace Prize was jointly awarded to the Russian human rights group Memorial, Ukraine’s Center for Civil Liberties, and the imprisoned Belarusian rights advocate Ales Bialiatski for their contributions to promoting peace amid Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine.

Since its establishment in 1901, the Nobel Peace Prize has been presented to 110 individuals and 30 organizations. Notable past laureates include Afghan activist Malala Yousafzai and Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed. Some organizations, such as the International Committee of the Red Cross, have received the award three times, and the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees has been honored twice.