Nadia Murad

Nadia Murad
Nadia Murad in 2018
Born	Birth date -1st March 1966 Kocho, Sinjar, Iraq
Nationality	Iraqi
Occupation	Human rights activist
Known for	Advocacy for victims of human trafficking and genocide
Awards	Nobel Peace Prize (2018)

Nadia Murad Basee Taha (born March 10, 1993) is an Iraqi Yazidi human rights activist who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2018 for her efforts to end the use of sexual violence as a weapon of war and armed conflict. She is a survivor of the ISIS genocide against the Yazidi people and has become a leading advocate for survivors of human trafficking and sexual violence.

Early Life

Nadia Murad was born in the village of Kocho in the Sinjar District of northern Iraq. She belongs to the Yazidi ethnic and religious minority, which has faced persecution for centuries. Her family lived a simple life, primarily engaged in farming.

ISIS Attack and Captivity

In August 2014, ISIS militants attacked Nadia's village, killing hundreds of men, including six of her brothers and stepbrothers, and taking women and children captive. Nadia was among the thousands of Yazidi women and girls who were abducted and subjected to sexual slavery. She was held captive in Mosul, where she was repeatedly raped and beaten.

After three months, Nadia managed to escape with the help of a neighboring family who smuggled her out of ISIS-controlled territory. She eventually made her way to a refugee camp and later to Germany, where she received medical treatment and began to rebuild her life.

Advocacy and Recognition

Nadia Murad has used her personal story to raise awareness about the plight of the Yazidi people and the use of sexual violence in conflict. She has spoken before the United Nations, the European Parliament, and numerous other international bodies.

In 2016, she was appointed the first United Nations Goodwill Ambassador for the Dignity of Survivors of Human Trafficking. Her memoir, "The Last Girl: My Story of Captivity, and My Fight Against the Islamic State," was published in 2017.

In 2018, Nadia Murad was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, along with Denis Mukwege, for their efforts to end the use of sexual violence as a weapon of war.

Nadia's Initiative

Nadia Murad founded Nadia's Initiative, an organization dedicated to helping women and children victimized by genocide, mass atrocities, and human trafficking to heal and rebuild their communities. The initiative focuses on advocacy, education, and the reconstruction of communities in crisis.

Also see

• Yazidi Genocide
• Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant
• Human trafficking
• Denis Mukwege
• Nobel Peace Prize