Nadia Murad’s Victory as Woman of the Year Sparks Celebration of Female Empowerment

Nadia Murad’s dreams of establishing a beauty salon in Kojo, a small village in northern Iraq, were shattered when the Islamic State militants attacked in 2014. The peaceful village turned into a battleground, claiming the lives of many, including Murad’s family and friends. At just 21 years old, Nadia Murad found herself among thousands of Yazidi women and children held captive by the militants, enduring unimaginable horrors for nearly three months.

In 2015, Nadia Murad managed to escape and sought refuge in Germany. Instead of letting her traumatic experiences consume her, she decided to turn her pain into advocacy for survivors of genocide and sexual violence. Now 30, Murad is the president and chairwoman of Nadia’s Initiative, a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping communities in crisis rebuild and advocating for policy reform on a global scale.

Murad’s journey from survivor to advocate was recognized at the 2024 TIME Women of the Year event, where she was honored for her remarkable contributions. She highlighted the resilience of unsung feminists who fought for change despite facing numerous obstacles, including limited access to education. Murad emphasized the importance of their efforts in shaping a better future for generations to come.

Her memoir became a bestseller in 2017, and she was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2018 for her tireless advocacy work. In December, Murad led a groundbreaking lawsuit against Lafarge, a French cement conglomerate, for financing ISIS. With the support of human-rights attorney Amal Clooney, Murad aims to hold accountable those who support terrorist organizations through legal means.

In addition to her advocacy work, Murad is on track to graduate from American University with a sociology degree this year, becoming the first in her family to do so. Despite the loss of her dream salon in Kojo, Murad finds solace in empowering other women and girls in Iraq to pursue their dreams.

_{Repurposed article originally published in She the People}