Alaa Murabit

Biography

At the young age of 15 Alaa Murabit completed high school and moved from Saskatoon, Canada to Zawia, Libya. It was there that she enrolled in medical school and driven by her desire to create inclusive processes and institutions founded The Voice of Libyan Women (VLW) in 2011 at the age of 21. With a strong focus on challenging societal and cultural norms and utilizing traditional and historical role models Murabit champions women’s participation in peace processes and conflict mediation. Her programs, such as the groundbreaking “Noor Campaign” are replicated internationally.
Nicknamed “The Libyan Doogie Howser” by Jon Stewart and applauded by Oprah for her innovative approach to security, Murabit acts as advisor to numerous international security boards, think tanks and organizations. Most recently she was nominated to the UN Security Council Resolution 1325 (women, peace and security) Global Advisory Board, UN Women Global Advisory Board and Harvard University’s “Everywoman, Everywhere” initiative. The first Ashoka Fellow elected from Libya, Murabit is the youngest recipient of the Marisa Bellisario International Humanitarian Award by the Italian Government, was named the “International Trust Women Hero 2014” by The New York Times and "One of 25 women under 25 to watch" by Newsweek.
Most recently she was selected as a "100 Top Woman" by the BBC and the SAFE Global Hero. In March 2015 Murabit was selected as the inaugural civil society speaker at the official Commission on the Status of Women opening session. Murabit’s TED Talk, released in July 2015, “ What my religions really says about women” was selected as the TED Talk of the Day and one of four moving TED Talks you should watch right now by The New York Times. In October 2015 Murabit addressed the United Nations Security Council during the 15th Anniversary Open Debate on Resolution 1325. In December 2015 Murabit was selected as a Keeping Children Safe Trustee.