Nadia Murad
Fighting sexual violence and empowering women
About
In 2014, Nadia Murad was among thousands of Yazidi women who were abducted, raped, and enslaved by the self-proclaimed Islamic State ISIS. She was 21 at the time. During her captivity, Nadia was detained and sold as a sex slave at various ISIS sites before finally escaping.
Nadia has since then led an intense campaign to draw the attention of governments to the plight of the Yazidi, including women in sexual slavery. In 2018, she received the Nobel Peace Prize for her efforts to end the use of sexual violence as a weapon of armed conflict.
Work
Nadia Murad founded Nadia’s Initiative, which is dedicated to rebuilding communities in crisis and advocating globally for survivors of sexual violence.
Nadia’s homeland, Sinjar, Iraq, was destroyed by ISIS to prevent the Yazidi’s return. Nadia’s Initiative aims to empower women and restore education, healthcare, livelihoods, water and sanitation infrastructure, and culture in the region. For example, it has helped female survivors build businesses and support their communities through livelihood training.