Tawakkol Karman is a Yemeni human rights defender, journalist, and Nobel Peace Prize Laureate. She is the first Arab woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize, for her nonviolent struggle for democracy, freedom of expression, and women’s rights.

Known as the “Mother of the Revolution” the ” Iron Woman” and ” the Icon of Arab Spring” Karman played a central role in Yemen’s peaceful uprising, helping mobilize nationwide protests that led to the end of decades-long authoritarian rule in Yemen.

She founded Women Journalists Without Chains in 2005 and the Peaceful Revolutionary Youth Council, both of which played key roles in defending press freedom and advancing democratic change.

She was recently awarded the Guardians of Democracy Prize by the Global Forum for Democracy. TIME named her among the “100 most influential women defining the last century” and described her as the “Torchbearer of the Arab Spring.” and listed her as one of the “Most Rebellious Women in History.”. She has also been recognized among Foreign Policy’s Top Global Thinkers.

Karman served on the United Nations Secretary-General’s High-Level Panel of Eminent Persons on the Post-2015, and currently serves on several international boards, including the Facebook and Instgram Oversight Board. Through the Tawakkol Karman Foundation, she leads major initiatives in education, development, and peacebuilding.

She continues her global struggle against tyranny and corruption and remains a leading advocate for democracy, human rights, and development.