Nadia Sharmeen facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Nadia Sharmeen
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| নাদিয়া শারমিন | |
Sharmeen holding her International Women of Courage Award (March 2015)
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| Occupation | Journalist |
| Employer | Ekattor TV |
| Awards | International Women of Courage Award, 2015 |
Nadia Sharmeen (Bengali: নাদিয়া শারমিন) is a brave journalist from Bangladesh. In 2015, she received a special honor called the International Women of Courage Award from the US State Department. This award celebrates women around the world who show great courage and leadership.
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Nadia Sharmeen's Story
Nadia Sharmeen dreamed of becoming a journalist since she was in middle school. She wanted to report on important events and share stories with the public. In 2009, she officially became a journalist in Bangladesh. She started her career as a reporter who covered crime stories.
A Difficult Day in 2013
In 2013, Nadia was working for a TV channel called Ekushey Television. She was reporting on a large gathering organized by a group called Hefazat-e-Islam Bangladesh. This group was asking for certain rules based on their religious beliefs. For example, they wanted to limit how males and females could interact in public. They also wanted women to wear scarves.
During this event, Nadia was attacked by some of the activists. She believed she was targeted "only because I am a woman." Other journalists and even women who collected garbage were also attacked in cities like Dhaka and Chittagong.
The Attack and Its Aftermath
About 50 to 60 men chased Nadia. They threw water bottles and pieces of brick at her. When she fell, they hit and punched her. Some male reporters and cameramen tried to help her, but they also became targets of the crowd.
Nadia was rushed to the hospital for urgent care. She needed treatment for her injuries. A report about the attack was filed with the police soon after. However, no one was arrested for the attack for a long time. In July 2013, a human rights group asked the highest court in Bangladesh to help Nadia. The court ordered that the attackers should be arrested. It also said that the government should pay for Nadia's medical care. Even after nearly two years, no one was identified or arrested for the attack.
Returning to Journalism
After she recovered, Nadia Sharmeen bravely returned to her work as a crime reporter. She started working for a different news organization. Today, she works at Ekattor TV.
Nadia's experience made many people stand up for women's rights. After the attack, women's rights activists held rallies to show their support. Many press clubs and other organizations also joined them. In 2014, Nadia's story was shared as part of a big global campaign called One Billion Rising for Justice. Activists used her story to encourage the Bangladeshi government to protect women's rights even more. They wanted the government to follow rules like the CEDAW protections.
