Thursday, Apr. 01, 2010

Zahra Rahnavard

Age: 64
Occupation: Iranian academic, political activist
Previous TIME 100 Appearances: 0

By openly campaigning for her husband, Mir-Hossein Mousavi, in last year's presidential election, Rahnavard came to represent the emergence of Iranian women as a powerful political force. Her charisma helped draw young people to Mousavi's camp. Inevitably, the local media dubbed her "the Iranian Michelle Obama."