Nila Ibrahimi
Born in Afghanistan, Nila Ibrahimi is a 17-year-old women's and girls' rights activist, high school student, and singer currently residing in Vancouver, Canada. Affected by the Taliban's return to power in August 2021, Nila became a refugee in Pakistan, where she was deprived of access to education for almost a year. Committed to advocating for the rights of Afghan women, Nila has spoken at various local and international events, earning recognition from numerous organizations and receiving several awards for her efforts.
In 2023, Nila co-founded HerStory to continue advocating for Afghan women and to provide a platform for their support and empowerment.
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Nila Ibrahimi Speaks Upon Receiving the International Children's Peace Prize 2024
Nila in Conversation with Chris Anderson, TED 2024
Nila Ibrahimi's Powerful Performance at the International Children's Peace Prize Award Ceremony in Amsterdam, 2024: 'Go to School'
Nila Ibrahimi Speaks at the Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy (2023)
Nila's Story
Nila was a 9th-grade student at the progressive Marefat High School in Kabul, Afghanistan. A top student, she was involved in various extracurricular activities, including being an active member of the Sound of Afghanistan (SA)—a music band that sang for peace, human rights, gender equality, and democracy.
Standing for her right at the age of 14:
In March 2021, the Kabul Education Directorate issued a discriminatory order banning girls over the age of 12 from singing in public. Facing such discrimination for the first time, Nila, who was 14 at the time, decided to raise her voice against the order. She recorded herself singing a popular song encouraging girls to go to school and get an education, concluding with, "This is my voice and the protesting voice of all schoolgirls against the discriminatory decision of the Kabul Education Directorate. Eliminating our voice is eliminating us. We stand in unison against this decision." Murtaza Ibrahimi, Nila's brother, who had a significant number of followers on social media, posted the video on his pages. Joining the widespread #IAmMySong movement, the video quickly went viral and attracted the attention of international media outlets. Soon after, the order was reversed.
The Taliban's takeover of Afghanistan and settling in Canada
On August 15, 2021, while Nila was taking her mid-year school exams, the Taliban regained control of Kabul. This event marked the end of two decades of progressive opportunities for women in Afghanistan's major cities. Due to their activism and their identity as part of the Hazara ethnic group, Nila’s family quickly found themselves targeted by the Taliban. With no options for air travel, they were forced to undertake a dangerous land journey to Pakistan. This fraught escape involved navigating through numerous Taliban checkpoints, where they narrowly avoided detection. Initially living in Quetta and Karachi, Nila, and her family lived in a state of constant uncertainty. Eventually, they moved to Islamabad with support from the 30 Birds Foundation, an organization that helped over 450 Afghans flee Kabul. After a year of moving between safe houses, Nila and her family were finally able to relocate to Saskatoon, Canada, where they sought safety and a fresh start. After living for almost a year in Saskatoon, Nila now resides in Vancouver, British Columbia, where she attends a private high school on a full scholarship and continues her academic and advocacy journey.
Nila Ibrahimi, second from left, is greeted by her old Marefat High School classmates at Saskatoon International Airport on Aug. 27, 2022. PHOTO BY MICHELLE BERG /Saskatoon StarPhoenix
Awards &
Recognitions
