Yazidi activist Nadia Murad receives Honorary Doctorate in Peru
Shafaq News - Lima
On Saturday, Yazidi civil rights activist and Nobel Prize laureate Nadia Murad received an honorary doctorate from Cesar Vallejo University in Peru in recognition of her work defending human rights and combating sexual violence in armed conflicts.
During an official ceremony marking its 34th anniversary, the university described the honor as one of the highest academic distinctions worldwide, highlighting Murad’s efforts to bring the Yazidi cause to the international community and her continued support for survivors of violence.
In turn, Murad stressed the importance of education as a critical tool
for empowering communities and strengthening their ability to face challenges.
Iraq is home to an estimated half a million Yazidis, most of them in Sinjar in Nineveh province and northern Duhok. The community endured a campaign of extermination by ISIS in 2014, when thousands were killed and many women and children enslaved, forcing tens of thousands to flee to Kurdistan and Syria.
More than a decade later, many Yazidis remain displaced, while survivors — particularly women — continue to experience deep psychological and social scars from their captivity and abuse.
Read more: A decade of suffering: Yazidis still seeking justice after ISIS atrocities
