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“Help us build a better, safer, and more just world for future generations.”

~ Nadia Murad

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Nadia’s Story

Nadia Murad, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate and UNODC Goodwill Ambassador, is a leading advocate for survivors of genocide and sexual violence. Nadia’s peaceful life was brutally disrupted in 2014 when ISIS attacked her homeland in Sinjar to ethnically cleanse Iraq of all Yazidis. Since Nadia's escape from ISIS captivity, she has shared her story to raise awareness of ISIS and its genocidal campaign against the Yazidi people. She has become a powerful advocate for women in conflict settings and survivors of sexual violence worldwide.

Much of Nadia’s advocacy work is focused on meeting with global leaders to shed light on the continued plight of the Yazidi people and the need for justice for survivors of sexual violence. Nadia is the President and Chairwoman of Nadia’s Initiative, which actively works to persuade governments and international organizations to support the sustainable re-development of the Yazidi homeland. Nadia is the author of her memoir, The Last Girl: My Story of Captivity and My Fight Against the Islamic State.

Nadia’s Initiative

Nadia’s Initiative is dedicated to rebuilding communities in crisis and advocating globally for survivors of sexual violence. The Initiative’s current work is focused on the sustainable re-development of the Yazidi homeland in Sinjar, Iraq, where Nadia grew up. When ISIS launched their genocidal campaign, they not only killed and kidnapped Yazidis, but also destroyed the Yazidi homeland to ensure the community could never return.

Nadia’s Initiative partners with local communities and local and international organizations to design, support, and implement projects that promote the restoration of education, healthcare, livelihoods, WASH (water, sanitation, and hygiene), culture, and women’s empowerment in the region. All Nadia’s Initiative programs are community-driven, survivor-centric, and designed to promote long-term peacebuilding. The Initiative advocates governments and international organizations to support efforts to rebuild Sinjar, seek justice for Yazidis, improve security in the region, and support survivors of sexual violence worldwide.

Recent News

Featured
Exhuming Mass Graves: Bringing Justice and Closure to Victims of the Yazidi Genocide
Exhuming Mass Graves: Bringing Justice and Closure to Victims of the Yazidi Genocide

For more than seven years, Nadia’s Initiative has supported Yazidi genocide survivors by centering their voices and advancing justice, recovery, and healing. In 2024, after receiving advocacy training from NI, Yazidi families met with Iraqi officials in Baghdad to voice their demands about their missing loved ones. Their testimonies led to new exhumation efforts, and with NI’s support on the ground, over a dozen mass and individual graves were uncovered in early 2025, representing an important step toward truth, dignity, and closure for families of the victims.

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Empowering Women and Survivors, Transforming Communities: Inside the NI Women's Center
Empowering Women and Survivors, Transforming Communities: Inside the NI Women's Center

The NI Women’s Center is the first of its kind in the region – a transformative space dedicated to empowering women and girls, including survivors of genocide and conflict-related sexual violence. It’s more than just a building – it’s a safe haven where women can heal, learn, and reclaim their futures.

Because when women thrive, entire communities thrive.

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Nadia Delivers Keynote for International Women’s Day at the French Ministry in Paris
Nadia Delivers Keynote for International Women’s Day at the French Ministry in Paris

“On this International Women’s Day, we celebrate the women who have fought for change, often at great personal risk. Women who have broken barriers, challenged stereotypes, and paved the way for future generations. But we must also remember the women whose stories go untold—the women in rural villages, refugee camps, and war zones who fight for survival and dignity every single day.”

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