Every year on December 10th, the Chairman of the Nobel Peace Committee presents the Nobel Peace Prize to the chosen winner. This year, Iranian human rights activist Narges Mohammadi, who has been a voice in the pushback against women’s oppression in Iran, has won the honorary title. The Nobel Peace Committee says Mohammadi was awarded “for her fight against the oppression of women in Iran and her fight to promote human rights and freedom for all.” However, she is currently imprisoned in Iran, serving a sentence of 10 years, 9 months, and 154 lashes for actions against national security and propaganda against the state. She hasn’t held her children in eight years. 

Despite her imprisonment, the Norwegian Nobel Committee chose the activist to be this year’s winner. When asked if this choice was a way of the committee showing their disdain towards her detention, Bella Rose Uhrig, a senior, responded, “Yes…I think that such a big honor could set the United Nations into action.” Although Iran was ousted from the UN on December 14th of last year as an admonishment for curtailing women’s rights, beyond social media, there has not been much support. Nika Moradi, a senior, explained how she felt about the situation and said,“[Mohammadi’s imprisonment] shows that even if someone is in prison you cannot take away their power.” Mohammadi continues to fight, from organizing protests within the prison to releasing reports about sexual assaults. The New York Times spoke with Mohammadi, who said, “When prison drags on for many years, you have to give your life meaning within confinement and keep love alive. I have to keep my eyes on the horizon and the future even though the prison walls are tall and near and blocking my view.”