seyran ateş (born 20 april 1963) is a german lawyer and muslim feminist born in istanbul, turkey, of kurdish-turkish descent. her family moved to germany when she was six years old. she studied law at the free university of berlin, and has practiced law since 1997, specializing in criminal law and family law. ateş, a civil-rights activist, is best known for demanding equal rights for muslim women and girls.