Tawakkol Karman is a human rights activist, journalist, politician and president of the Women Journalists Without Chains organisation. She serves as the general coordinator of the peaceful youth revolution council and is a member of the several international human rights NGOs. Known as the ‘mother of the revolution’, ‘the iron woman’ and ‘the lady of the Arab Spring,’ Karman played a key role in the 2011 pro-democracy youth uprising in Yemen.

She was awarded the 2011 Nobel Peace Prize in recognition of her leadership in non-violent struggle and her advocacy against authoritarianism, corruption, oppression and for women’s rights to full participation in peace-building work in Yemen. Karman is the first Arab woman and the second muslim woman to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize and at the time was the youngest recipient at 32.

Tawakkol’s courage and achievements have been recognised around the world, not only in the granting of the Nobel Peace Prize. She has received various awards and accolades which includes: one of TIME Magazine’s Most Rebellious Woman in History on 2011; one of Foreign Policy Magazine’s Top 100 Global Thinkers for three years; one of CNN’s list of most powerful women in the Arab World. Tawakkol has also been selected for internationally powerful positions: member of the United Nations High-Level Panel of Eminent Persons on Post-2015 Development.

Tawakkol earned an undergraduate degree in administration from the Faculty of Commerce and Economics at the University of Science and Technology, Sana’a, and a graduate degree in education psychology from the University of Sana’a. She has been granted many honorary doctorates from many universities in international law, human rights, journalism, and women’s rights.

More about Tawakkol Karman and the 2011 Nobel Peace Prize.