Şafak Pavey facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Şafak Pavey
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| Deputy Speaker of the Grand National Assembly | |
| In office 9 July 2015 – 1 November 2015 |
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| Speaker | İsmet Yılmaz |
| Serving with | Naci Bostancı Koray Aydın Yurdusev Özsökmenler |
| Preceded by | Güldal Mumcu |
| Succeeded by | Akif Hamzaçebi |
| Member of the Grand National Assembly | |
| In office 12 June 2011 – 25 October 2017 |
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| Constituency | İstanbul (I) (2011, June 2015, Nov 2015) |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Şafak Önal
10 July 1976 Ankara, Turkey |
| Political party | Republican People's Party (CHP) |
| Spouse |
Paul Pavey
(m. 1995–1997) |
| Alma mater | University of Westminster, London School of Economics |
| Occupation | Diplomat, columnist and politician |
Şafak Pavey (born 10 July 1976) is a well-known Turkish diplomat, writer, and politician. She was a member of the Turkish Grand National Assembly, which is like Turkey's parliament. She represented Istanbul Province for the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP).
Şafak Pavey made history as the first disabled woman to be elected to the Turkish parliament. She also worked with the United Nations on the rights of people with disabilities. In 1996, before she turned 20, she had a serious train accident in Switzerland. This accident led to the amputation of her left arm and left leg.
In 2012, the United States Department of State gave Pavey the International Women of Courage Award. She left her role as a member of parliament on 15 September 2017 due to health reasons. Her resignation became official on 25 October 2017.
Early Life and Education
Şafak Pavey was born on 10 July 1976 in Ankara, Turkey. Her parents were Şahin and Ayşe Önal. Her mother, Ayşe Önal, is a famous journalist and writer.
In 1994, Şafak moved to Switzerland to study art and film. On 24 May 1996, she was in a train accident in Zurich. She was seriously hurt, and her left arm and left leg had to be amputated. This happened just before her 20th birthday.
A year later, she moved to London to continue her studies. She studied international relations at the University of Westminster. She then completed her advanced studies at the London School of Economics.
Career and Achievements
Şafak Pavey worked for the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). This organization helps people who have been forced to leave their homes. She was in charge of helping people and managing relationships in countries like Algeria, Egypt, Iran, Lebanon, and Syria.
She also worked as a spokesperson for UNHCR in Hungary. Later, she led a team at the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. This team focused on human rights agreements.
Pavey was also a writer for Agos, a newspaper in Istanbul. She has written three books. She worked on projects with Harvard University and other groups. These projects focused on making designs friendly for everyone and helping people who have been displaced.
One of her books, 13 Numarali Peron (Platform Number 13), tells the story of her train accident. She wrote it with her mother, Ayşe Önal, and it became very popular in Turkey. She also worked with Shirin Ebadi, a Nobel Peace Laureate, on a book about the rights of refugees in Iran.
After living abroad for 15 years, Şafak Pavey returned to Turkey in 2011. She decided to run for a seat in parliament. She left her job at the United Nations in 2012. She was then elected as a representative for Istanbul Province for the Republican People's Party. This made her the first disabled woman to become a member of the Turkish Parliament.
As a member of parliament, she worked on committees that connect Turkey with the European Union. She also helped lead friendship groups between the Turkish Parliament and countries like South Korea and Norway. She was later chosen as one of the CHP's deputy leaders, focusing on environmental and social issues.
She is also an Honorary Associate of the National Secular Society.
Awards and Recognition
Şafak Pavey has received several important awards for her work:
- The International Woman of Courage Award from the US Department of State.
- The Outstanding Young Person of the World Award from the Junior Chamber International.
- The Secularist of the Year 2014 award from the UK National Secular Society.
