Tawakkol Karman facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Tawakkol Karman
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| توكل كرمان | |
Karman in 2012
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| Born | 7 February 1979 Taiz Governorate, Republic of Yemen
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| Nationality | Yemeni |
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| Alma mater | University of Massachusetts Lowell Sanaa University |
| Occupation | Journalist Politician Human rights activist Revolutionary |
| Movement | Jasmine Revolution |
| Spouse(s) | Mohammed Al-Nehmi |
| Children | 4 |
| Parent(s) | Abdulsalam Khaled Karman (Father) Anisah Hussein Abdullah Al Aswadi (Mother) |
| Relatives | Eshraq Karman (sister) Entesar Karman (sister) Mohameed Karman (brother) Khaled Karman (brother) Hakimah Karman (sister) Tariq Karman (brother) Khadejah Karman (sister) Huda Karman (sister) Safa Karman (sister) |
| Awards | Nobel Peace Prize (2011) |
Tawakkol Karman (born 7 February 1979) is a Yemeni journalist, politician, and human rights activist. She is known for her peaceful fight for women's rights and freedom in Yemen. She helped start a group called 'Women Journalists Without Chains' in 2005. This group works to protect press freedom and human rights.
Tawakkol Karman became a well-known leader during the 2011 Yemeni uprising. This uprising was part of a bigger movement called the Arab Spring. People in Yemen often called her the 'Iron Woman' or the 'Mother of the Revolution'. In 2011, she won the Nobel Peace Prize. She shared the prize for her "non-violent struggle for the safety of women and for women's rights to full participation in peace-building work". She was the first Yemeni person, the first Arab woman, and the second Muslim woman to ever win a Nobel Prize.
Karman became famous in Yemen after 2005. She spoke out for press freedom, especially after a news service was not allowed to operate in 2007. After that, she led weekly protests. In early 2011, her protests joined the larger Arab Spring movement. This movement was inspired by the revolution in Tunisia. She strongly spoke against the government of President Ali Abdullah Saleh.
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About Tawakkol Karman's Life
Tawakkol Karman was born on 7 February 1979 in Shara'b As Salam, which was then North Yemen. She grew up near Taiz, a city known for its schools. Her father, Abdel Salam Karman, was a lawyer and politician. He used to be a minister in the government.
Karman is married to Mohammed al-Nahmi and they have three children. She has a master's degree in international security. She also has degrees in commerce and political science. In 2012, she received an honorary doctorate in international law from a university in Canada.
In 2010, during a protest, someone tried to attack Karman. Her supporters stopped the attack. In 2011, she received a threat to stop her protests. The Turkish government later offered her Turkish citizenship, which she accepted in 2012.
In 2012, Karman spoke at the annual Clinton Global Initiative. In 2019, she was honored at The Asian Awards. Like many Yemenis, she had to leave Yemen because of safety concerns. She now lives in Istanbul and continues to speak out against problems in Yemen. This includes the war and drone attacks. In 2020, her home and office were taken over by Houthi rebels.
Women Journalists Without Chains
Tawakkol Karman helped start a human rights group called Women Journalists Without Chains (WJWC) in 2005. She started it with seven other female journalists. Their goal was to promote human rights, especially freedom of speech and democratic rights.
Karman faced threats and harassment from the Yemeni government. This was because the government did not want WJWC to legally start a newspaper or radio station. The group also fought for freedom for SMS news services. These services were controlled by the government.
In 2007, WJWC released a report. It showed how press freedom in Yemen had been abused since 2005. From 2007 to 2010, Karman often led protests in Tahrir Square, Sana'a. She also called for a treaty to end violence against women in 2019.
Her Views and Actions
Karman first started protesting for press freedom. She believed that freedom of speech was very important. She was a senior member of the Al-Islah party. However, she was later suspended from the party in 2018. This happened after she said that the Saudi-led group was acting like occupiers in Yemen.
She changed how she dressed in public. She stopped wearing the traditional niqab (a full face covering). Instead, she wore colorful hijabs that showed her face. She wanted to show that the full covering was a cultural choice, not a religious rule. She said that women should be active in society without needing permission.
Karman has also spoken about problems like child malnutrition and high illiteracy rates among women in Yemen. She wants laws to stop girls younger than 17 from getting married. She believes that Yemen's revolution is not just about politics. It is also about solving social problems like child marriage.
She has also led protests against government corruption. She believes that the revolution was caused by a mix of dictatorship, corruption, poverty, and unemployment. She says she is independent and not controlled by foreign influences. She sees herself as a "citizen of the world."
Karman supports the Palestinian people in the Israeli–Palestinian conflict. In 2024, she spoke about the situation in Gaza.
Views on Egyptian Politics
Karman supported protests against Egyptian president Mohamed Morsi in 2013. But she did not agree with the military's decision to remove Morsi from power. She felt that this might make people lose faith in democracy. She tried to enter Egypt to join protests but was not allowed to. She also spoke out against the military's arrests and violence against protesters.
Views on Yemeni Conflict
Karman often speaks against both the Houthi rebels and Al-Qaeda in Yemen. She says they threaten Yemen's independence. She believes the Houthis get help from Iran. She also thinks that former president Saleh and the Houthi rebels are working together to undo the 2011 revolution. Despite the civil war, she remains hopeful for Yemen's future.
Karman also does not agree with the use of U.S. drones in Yemen. She says they violate human rights and international laws. She believes they make more people join Al-Qaeda. She also condemned the Saudi-led intervention in Yemen. She called for an immediate stop to their air strikes.
Leading the 2011 Protests
During the 2011 Yemeni protests, Tawakkol Karman organized student rallies against President Saleh's government. On 22 January, she was arrested and held for 36 hours. Her arrest caused more protests across the country. She was released on parole.
She then led another protest on 29 January. She called for a "Day of Rage" on 3 February. This was similar to protests in Egypt and Tunisia. She said that the protests would continue until Saleh's government fell. She stayed at the protest camp for months with her husband.
Karman had disagreements with other protest organizers. This happened when she urged protesters to march to the Presidential Palace in May. This was after security forces killed 13 protesters.
In June, she wrote an article for The New York Times. She criticized the United States and Saudi Arabia for supporting Saleh's government. She argued that American actions were focused on fighting terrorism, not on human rights in Yemen. She said that Yemeni protesters also wanted stability.
Many women joined the protests, making up about 30 percent of the protesters. On 16 October, a woman was killed by snipers in Taiz. Ten days later, women in Sana'a protested by burning their makrama (headscarves). Karman said this showed that Yemeni women would not hide anymore.
Working with International Organizations
After winning the Nobel Peace Prize, Tawakkol Karman worked to get world support for the protesters. She wanted the United Nations Security Council to help remove Saleh from power. She asked them not to pardon Saleh but to hold him responsible.
The United Nations Security Council voted on 21 October. They condemned Saleh's government for using force against protesters. But they also supported a plan that would give Saleh immunity if he resigned. Karman disagreed with this. She wanted Saleh to face trial at the International Criminal Court.
Karman also met with U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. She discussed the UN resolution. Clinton said the U.S. supported a democratic change in Yemen. Karman felt that the U.S. administration was still protecting Saleh.
Saleh signed the plan on 23 November 2011. He transferred his powers to the Vice President.
Nobel Peace Prize
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Tawakkol Karman, along with Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and Leymah Gbowee, won the 2011 Nobel Peace Prize. They won for their "non-violent struggle for the safety of women and for women's rights to full participation in peace-building work." The Nobel Committee said that Karman played a leading role in fighting for women's rights, democracy, and peace in Yemen.
Karman was the first Arab woman to win the prize. She was also the youngest person at that time to win the Nobel Peace Prize. She was the second Muslim woman to receive it. The Nobel Committee chairman said that lasting peace needs women to have the same chances as men.
When she heard about the award, Karman was still at the protest camp in Sana'a. She said, "I didn't expect it. It came as a total surprise. This is a victory for Arabs around the world and a victory for Arab women." She dedicated the award to all the young people and women across the Arab world who fought peacefully for their rights.
After the Nobel Prize
After winning the prize, Karman traveled to Qatar. She asked for help to set up a television and radio station. It would be called Belqees TV, named after the Queen of Sheba. This station would support female journalists and educate Yemeni journalists.
She also gave scholarships to students from Yemen. These students could study at Istanbul Aydın University.
Karman has spoken at many colleges and universities around the world. She has talked about women's rights and the Arab Revolution. She blames the Houthi rebels for the current civil war in Yemen.
In 2019, it was found that Karman had been targeted by a secret spying operation. This operation was from the United Arab Emirates. They used a special tool to hack her iPhone.
Documentary Film
Yemeni filmmaker Khadija al-Salami made a documentary in 2012 called The Scream. It shows the important role women played in the Yemen uprising. Tawakkol Karman is interviewed in the film. The film features three women: a journalist, an activist, and a poet. The title The Scream refers to women speaking out in a traditional society.
Her Writings
- "Our revolution's doing what Saleh can't – uniting Yemen." The Guardian, 9 April 2011.
- "Yemen’s unfinished revolution." New York Times, 18 June 2011.
- "Tawakkol Karman – Nobel Lecture." Nobelprize.org. 10 December 2011.
Facebook Oversight Board
On 6 May 2020, Facebook chose her to be on its oversight board. This board makes decisions about content on Facebook. After this, she faced harassment in Saudi Arabian media. She said she hoped she would not end up like Jamal Khashoggi.
Helping Others
On 13 February 2023, Tawakkol Karman worked with a Turkish disaster agency (AFAD). They built 50 temporary shelters for people affected by the big earthquake in Turkey and Syria. Her foundation also sent help to the earthquake areas.
See also
- List of Nobel Peace Laureates
- List of female Nobel laureates
- List of Muslim Nobel Laureates
- List of peace activists
