Monira Rahman facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Monira Rahman
Rahman in 2013
Born	Jessore, Bangladesh
Notable work	Reduction in acid and petrol attack on woman in Bangladesh

Monira Rahman is a brave human rights activist from Bangladesh. She was born in 1965 in Jessore, which was then part of East Pakistan. Today, this area is known as Bangladesh.

Monira Rahman is famous for her work against acid and petrol attacks on women. Thanks to her efforts, these terrible attacks in Bangladesh have gone down by a huge amount – 40 times less than before! She helped change laws and made sure victims could get quick and good help, even in faraway places. She also set up special services to help people recover emotionally.

In 2006, Monira Rahman received the Amnesty International Human Rights Defender Award for her courageous work. She also worked as the executive director of the Acid Survivors Foundation (ASF) from 2002 to 2013. In 2011, she was honored by the World's Children's Prize for her fight against violence.

Her Early Life

Monira Rahman was the youngest of six children. When she was young, the Bangladesh Liberation War happened in 1971. Her family had to leave their home, and her father passed away. This meant her mother had to raise all six children by herself.

This difficult experience made a big impact on Monira. It taught her to be very independent from a young age. As a child, she loved to join debates and cultural activities. These activities helped her become a leader and taught her to ask important questions. Later, when she was at the University of Dhaka, she was elected Vice President of Samsunnahar Hall.

After finishing university, her family wanted her to get a government job. But Monira chose a different path. She decided to become a social worker and joined an organization called Concern Worldwide.

Her Education Journey

Monira Rahman completed her SSC (a type of high school exam) from Qumarunnessa Girls School in 1981. She then finished her HSC (another high school exam) from Eden Girls College in 1983.

After that, she went to the University of Dhaka. She earned her Bachelor of Arts (Hons) degree in Philosophy in 1987. The next year, in 1988, she completed her Master of Arts degree in Philosophy from the same university.

Making a Difference

Monira Rahman started her career as a social worker at Concern Worldwide in 1992. She worked there until 1999. Her work helped the government look at laws about homelessness and the justice system for young people. She helped create an agreement for a special team to help people in homeless shelters.

During this time, she was very upset by the many severe acid attacks happening to women across Bangladesh. She decided to focus her efforts on women's rights. She first worked with an organization called Nari Pokkho. Then, in 1998, she joined the Acid Survivors Foundation. She became the executive director of this foundation in 2002.

Today, Monira Rahman continues her important work. She is the country lead for Mental Health First Aid Bangladesh. She is also the founder and executive director of Innovation for Wellbeing Bangladesh.

Awards and Recognition

Monira Rahman has received many important awards for her dedication and hard work:

• Human Rights Defender (March 2006) – Awarded by Amnesty International.
• International Awards for Health and Dignity for Women (October 2009) – Received from Americans for UNFPA.
• World's Children's Prize Honorary Award (April 2011) – Given by the World's Children's Prize Foundation in Sweden.
• Commonwealth Professional Fellow (October 2012) – Honored by the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission (CSC).
• Ashoka Fellowship (February 2015) – Recognized by Ashoka, Innovators for the Public.