Nadia Murad

Nadia Murad is a Nobel Peace Prize Laureate (2018) and Distinguished Presidential Fellow in Peace Studies at Chapman University. A Yazidi survivor of the 2014 ISIS genocide in Northern Iraq, she has dedicated her life to advocating for survivors of human trafficking and conflict-related sexual violence globally. She founded Nadia's Initiative, a non-profit organization focused on community redevelopment and survivor advocacy in crisis zones.

Her work centers on human rights documentation, international legal accountability for genocide, and policy development for sexual violence survivors. She pioneered the UN-endorsed Fund for Survivors of Conflict Related Sexual Violence (adopted by UN Security Council Resolution 2467), transforming survivor support systems worldwide. Her advocacy rejects cultural silence around wartime rape, emphasizing survivor agency and justice.

Her memoir The Last Girl (2017) catalyzed global awareness of the Yazidi genocide, blending personal testimony with policy analysis to influence international human rights frameworks.

Her scientific awards include:

• Nobel Peace Prize (2018)
• Václav Havel Human Rights Prize
• Sakharov Prize

As President of Nadia's Initiative, she leads international teams rebuilding Yazidi communities in Northern Iraq while lobbying governments and international bodies for genocide prevention mechanisms. Her UN work includes developing legal pathways to prosecute ISIS for genocide and crimes against humanity since 2015.

Nadia's Initiative operates as her primary research and implementation hub, coordinating on-the-ground reconstruction, survivor support services, and policy advocacy campaigns across multiple conflict-affected regions.