Nadia Murad

Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, Founder & President of Nadia's Initiative

Nadia Murad

Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, Founder & President of Nadia's Initiative

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Biography

Nadia Murad is a Nobel Peace Prize Laureate and one of the most influential forces reshaping how the world responds to conflict-related sexual violence. She has moved survivor-led justice and recovery from the margins to the center of global policy — changing the standard by which governments, international institutions, and legal systems are held accountable.

In 2014, Nadia was taken captive by the Islamic State (ISIS) during the genocide against the Yazidi community. After escaping, she chose to speak out — not to seek sympathy, but to force a global reckoning with the systems that allowed these crimes to happen and went unpunished.

What followed was not just advocacy — it was transformation. Nadia has driven fundamental shifts in international legal frameworks, pushed accountability mechanisms into existence, expanded access to reparations, and embedded survivor-centered approaches into institutional responses across multiple regions. Where there were gaps in the global system, she has worked to close them.

She has held heads of state, the United Nations Security Council, and governments to account — pushing them to act on justice for survivors and strengthen global responses to conflict-related sexual violence. Her leadership was instrumental in establishing the UN investigative mechanism UNITAD and securing the adoption of UN Security Council Resolution 2467 — milestones that have reshaped international law.

Nadia is the Founder and President of Nadia's Initiative, a nonprofit organization dedicated to rebuilding communities in crisis and driving global advocacy for survivors of sexual violence. She has championed reparations access for survivors worldwide.

In 2016, she became the first United Nations Goodwill Ambassador for the Dignity of Survivors of Human Trafficking. In 2018, she was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for her leadership in ending the use of sexual violence as a weapon of war.

Nadia’s work is grounded in an uncompromising principle: survivors must be at the center of the systems meant to protect them — not as symbols, but as leaders shaping law, policy, and recovery. Her new memoir, I Choose My Beginning: A Story of Courage and Activism, due in fall 2026, focuses on how her life moves forward — not only how it was torn apart.

Speaker Videos

Nadia Murad Commencement Speech at Pitzer College

Nadia Murad: Nobel Peace Prize lecture 2018 (English subtitles)

Chapman University Commencement Speech

Speech Topics

The Last Girl: A Story of Courage & Resilience

Nadia Murad was born in Kocho, a small farming village in northern Iraq. Her peaceful life was savagely interrupted when ISIS attacked her homeland with the intention of ethnically cleansing Iraq of all Yazidis, an ancient ethnic and religious minority. Like many minority groups, the Yazidis have carried the weight of historical persecution. Women in particular have suffered greatly, as they have been and continue to be victims of sexual violence.

Now a bestselling author, a human rights activist, and a winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, Nadia’s life has become a dizzying array of exhausting undertakings — from testifying before the U.N. to visiting refugee camps to soul-bearing media interviews and one-on-one meetings with top government officials. Nadia escaped the hands of ISIS to become a relentless beacon of hope for her people, even when at times she longs to lay aside this monumental burden and simply have an ordinary life.

With deep compassion and her calm and steely demeanor, Nadia Murad tells of her harrowing ordeal as a captive of the Islamic State, her ultimately inspiring story of escape, and her new life as the voice of her people. Nadia delivers an inspiring call to action, a testament to the human will to survive, and a love letter to a lost country and a family torn apart by war.

Nadia’s Initiative: Rebuilding Communities, Protecting Survivors

A member of the Yazidi minority in northern Iraq, Nadia Murad was the victim of an attack on her home village by the Islamic State (ISIS). Several hundred people were massacred and hundreds of girls and young women, including Nadia, were abducted and held as sex slaves. Nadia was repeatedly subjected to rape and other abuses, but after three harrowing months, she managed to escape.

As a witness to the Islamic State’s brutality, a survivor of rape, a refugee, and a Yazidi, Nadia forced the world to pay attention to genocide and the use of sexual violence as a weapon of war. She became a Human Rights Activist, a Nobel Peace Prize Winner, and a tireless voice calling to make “never again” a reality.

In this onstage conversation, Nadia raises awareness about the ongoing plight of the Yazidi people and shares her efforts to persuade governments and other organizations to financially support the rebuilding of the Yazidi homeland. In conjunction with her nonprofit, Nadia’s Initiative, Nadia outlines the programs to promote health, relocation, justice, and reparations for the thousands of displaced survivors. Nadia will deliver an impassioned speech calling for a worldwide, concerted humanitarian effort —overcoming all political and cultural division — to create a better future for women, children, and persecuted minorities.

Sexual Violence as a Weapon of War: Accountability & the Future of Global Security

Survivor-Led Justice & Recovery in a Fragmenting World

Preventing Genocide & Mass Atrocities in an Era of Geopolitical Competition

AI, Surveillance, and the New Frontlines: Protecting Women & Girls in Conflict

Rebuilding Societies After War: From Crisis to Long-Term Stability

Leading from Lived Experience: How Survivors Are Driving Systems Change

Testimonials

"We were deeply honored to host Nobel Peace Prize laureate Nadia Murad, where her presence illuminated our campus with hope, determination, and a call to action. With a morning packed with diverse events, including a poignant gathering attended by over 1500 participants, Nadia's message resonated powerfully across our community. From her captivating address to the large audience, where she tailored her message to engage students of varying ages and backgrounds while honoring the gravity of her own experiences, to her insightful discussions with student leaders and trustees, Nadia left an indelible mark on all who had the privilege of engaging with her. Nadia Murad's was a catalyst for change. Her compelling case towards action, rooted in learning, informing ourselves, and then taking concrete steps, left us energized and determined to contribute to the cause of promoting human dignity and confronting exploitation."

- CETYS University System

“We were honored to have Nadia Murad as the keynote speaker at the awards ceremony for the 25th Annual Holocaust Art & Writing Contest at Chapman University on March 15, 2024. Because the audience of around 700 was unusually diverse, ranging in age from middle and high school students to Holocaust survivors in their 90s to distinguished community members in their middle years, it was a challenging assignment. Without describing her experience of enslavement by Isis in more detail than would have been appropriate for the youngest attendees, she nonetheless conveyed a very real sense of the deep loss and terror she experienced. She was equally adept, and both sensitive and respectful, in relating her experiences to those of the Holocaust survivors who were present. In her speech, Nadia did more than inform and educate—although that in itself would have been a very substantial accomplishment—she moved and inspired us to join in her efforts of tikkun olam, healing the world, creating a world where no woman will suffer as she did. A person of true humility and humanity, through her words and actions, Nadia leaves a message that moves minds and hearts. The standing ovation she received following her presentation testified to her unforgettable impact on all of us who were privileged to hear her.”

- Wilkinson College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences

"Nadia Murad's presentation at Boston College on the plight of the Yazidis, which was detailed so masterfully in her excellent book, The Last Girl, was profoundly moving and eye-opening. Her courage and resilience shone through as she shared her personal story of survival and advocacy with unwavering honesty and eloquence. Nadia's ability to articulate the harrowing experiences of her community underlines her dedication to raising awareness about the atrocities committed against the Yazidis.

Her presentation not only educated students and faculty about the history and culture of the Yazidis but also emphasized the urgent need for global action to prevent such tragedies from recurring. Nadia's unwavering commitment to seeking justice for her people and promoting peace serves as an inspiration to all who are fortunate enough to hear her speak.

My students left her presentation deeply moved and with a renewed determination to support efforts towards justice and human rights for all marginalized communities. In this profound sense, Nadia has excited a new generation of young people to human rights advocacy. She is not just a survivor; she is a beacon of hope and an exemplary advocate for the Yazidi people and victims of similar atrocities worldwide."

- Boston College