Nobel Women's Initiative - Home
Join Us Donate
  • Home
  • Who We Are

    Since 2006 we have worked in solidarity with women's movements, organizations, and activists around the world to build peace, defend justice, and champion equality for all.
    • The Laureates

      • Rigoberta Menchú Tum
      • Jody Williams
      • Shirin Ebadi
      • Leymah Gbowee
      • Tawakkol Karman
      • Maria Ressa
    • The Board

      • Profiles
    • Supporters

      • Individual and institutional donors
    • Staff

      • Profiles
  • What We Do

    Nobel Women's Initiative delivers programs, events, training, mentorship, advocacy and campaigns.
    • Areas of Work

      • Leading Peace Together
      • Shifting the Narrative
      • Influencing Change
    • Events

      • Conferences & Meetings
    • News & Information

      • News, Releases and Statements
      • Annual & Thematic Reports
      • Blog
  • Our Approach

    This is why and how we work to increase the visibility of women striving for peace, justice and equality.
    • About Us

      • Vision, Mission, Feminist Principles
      • Highlights of our Work
      • History & Background
    • What's Our Approach?

      • Transition and Renewal
      • Strategic Directions 2023-2027
  • Get Involved

    Subscribe to our newsletter to receive updates on opportunities to join us in our work.
      • Donate
    • Work With Us

      • Jobs
Join Us Donate
  1. News, Releases and Statements
  2. Unfinished Revolution: Women Human Rights Defenders in the Middle East and North Africa | New Report

Unfinished Revolution: Women Human Rights Defenders in the Middle East and North Africa
New Report

A new report on the status of Women Human Rights Defenders in MENA since the Arab Spring. The revolution is not over.

Posted on March 8, 2022
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Email

Over a decade ago, women activists took to the streets in great numbers in several Middle East and North African countries to lead and join in the call for wide-ranging social and political reforms.

It was a hopeful time and the promise of a better day shimmered on the horizon. There was excitement about the future.

On the occasion of IWD2022, we’d like to share Unfinished Revolution, a new report from the Nobel Women’s Initiative, featuring 15 feminist leaders and women human rights defenders – legal and social justice experts and humanitarians –  sharing their thoughts and analysis about the aftermath, and the degree to which the promise had been fulfilled or derailed.

An overview of the status of women human rights defenders in the Middle East and North Africa can be found on the Unfinished Revolution website, where the report, in English and in Arabic, is available for download.

https://unfinishedrevolution.nobelwomensinitiative.org

The website also features video testimonials and interactive maps providing further insight into the region.

Many defenders have experienced judicial persecution, imprisonment, torture, exile, or travel bans.

Nevertheless, these women have persisted in their advocacy – attracting international recognition and solidarity, capturing the eyes and ears of the powerful and the influential, taking their rightful place at the peace table, pursuing financial resources as well as support for mental health and the well-being of the activists and defenders. During COVID some lent their considerable organizational and networking superpowers to the humanitarian response.

The revolution is not over.

“We don’t have the luxury to stop or lose hope. The more resistant and resilient we are, the more we push the state and people to change their mindsets towards respecting women and human rights.”

Azza Soliman
Egyptian lawyer, human rights defender, feminist
Co-founder, Center for Egyptian Women’s Legal Assistance

Featured activists, human rights defenders and feminist leaders:

Dr. Leila Alikarami, Lawyer, Human Rights Advocate and Women’s Rights Expert, Iran

Intisar Al-Mayali, Writer, Poet and Journalist, Iraq

Omaima Al Najjar, Physician, Saudi Arabia

Nedal Al Salman, Acting President of the Bahrain Center for Human Rights, Bahrain

Fahima Hashim, Director of the Salmmah Women’s Resource Centre, Sudan

Mozn Hassan, Executive Director, Nazra for Feminist Studies, Egypt

Mariam Jalabi, Representative of the Syrian Opposition to the United Nations, New York

Rasha Jarhum, Director, Peace Track Initiative, Yemen

Muna Luqman, Co-founder, Women’s Solidarity Network, Yemen

Yanar Mohammed, Co-founder and Director of the Organization of Women’s Freedom in Iraq

Hana Saleh, Executive Manager, Belqees Media and TV, Yemen

Joumana Seif, Activist and Lawyer, Co-founder of the Syrian Women’s Network and Syrian Women’s Political Movement, Syria

Maryam Shafipour, Human Rights Activist, Iran

Azza Soliman, Lawyer, Feminist and Human Rights Defender, Egypt

The Women Human Rights Defenders MENA Coalition, Lebanon

 

News, Releases and Statements

June 20, 2023

Jody Williams calls for respect for justice and the rule of law in Guatemala

June 19, 2023

Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Maria Ressa Joins Nobel Women’s Initiative

May 31, 2023

Call for Applications to 2023 Sister-to-Sister Program

March 6, 2023

Dr Shirin Ebadi's Open Letter to the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights

February 24, 2023

Nigerian Election Will Impact Gender Equality and Peace

January 18, 2023

Nobel Women’s Initiative Welcomes Maria Ressa’s Acquittal and Urges Action to Address Information Crisis

November 4, 2022

Dr Shirin Ebadi Addresses UN Security Council

October 7, 2022

Nobel Women’s Initiative laureates congratulate 2022 Peace Prize winners calling for peace with justice

September 28, 2022

An Open Letter to the People of Iran

September 19, 2022

Peace laureates appalled and saddened by the death of Mahsa Amini in Iran

  • Previous page
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
  • Next page

Recent Media Coverage

Recognizing the Role of Women in Fighting for Peace in Ukraine. Women's Enews. 23 February 2023. 

How Ukrainian Women Are Working to Safeguard Human Rights in the Face of War. Ms Magazine. 23 February 2023. 

Jody Williams: "Se están usando minas terrestres en la invasión de Ucrania". El Espanol. 8 February 2023. 

Nobel laureate Ebadi says Iran's 'revolutionary process' is irreversible. Reuters. 3 February 2023.

Minelegging truer sivile i Ukraina. Klassekampen. 25 January 2023. 

“Oh, Sister!” — life of Women of Ukraine amidst the war. The Odessa Journal. 29 December 2022.

‘Bravery has no gender’: Nobel prize winner praises role of women in Ukraine conflict. The Irish Times. 16 December 2022.

Für Ukraine alles geben, was möglich ist. Berliner Zeitung, 16 December 2022. 

Shirin Ebadi on the legal obstacles Iran’s protesters face. Economist, 16 November 2022

Will Russia use tactical nukes? It’s time to abolish nuclear weapons.* Houston Chronicle, 6 November 2022

How Women Respond to War: An Interview With Three Nobel Laureates. Women's Media Center, 4 November 2022

U.S/ Seeks Removal of Iran From U.N. Women's Rights Agency. New York Times, 2 November 2022

Nobel Peace Prize Laureates Spotlight the Brave, Visionary Women of Ukraine And Launch 'Women Lead' Campaign. Forbes, 28 October 2022

“They Want a Democracy”: Iranian Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Shirin Ebadi on Protests, Regime’s Future. Democracy Now, 20 October 2022

'Iran will be democratic one day': Shirin Ebadi. DW, 23 October 2022

Shirin Ebadi: Women will open the gate to democracy in Iran. CNN, 7 October 2022

*Behind a paywall

Nobel Women's Initiative

Contact Information

General Inquiries
Email:
Address:
261 Montreal Rd, Suite 310
Ottawa, ON K1L 8C7
Media Inquiries
Daina Ruduša
Email:

Join Us

  • Join us
  • Donate

Social media

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • YouTube

Subscribe


© 2023 Nobel Women's Initiative

Sign in to control panel Created with NationBuilder Built by Progressive Nation
Loading…