Mrs. Tawakkol Karman

2011 Nobel Peace Laureate and Human Rights Activist, Sana’a/Yemen

Mrs. Karman became the first Yemeni, the first Arab woman, the second Muslim woman and at age 32 one of the youngest-ever recipients of the Nobel Peace Prize.

Biography:

Tawakkol Karman, a Yemeni journalist and human rights activist, was the first Arab woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize in 2011. Known as “The Lady of the Arab Spring” she led hundreds of protests against Yemen’s dictatorial regime, advocating for democracy and freedom of speech. She founded Women Journalists Without Chains and the Peaceful Revolutionary Youth Council, facing imprisonment and persecution. She played a pivotal role in pressuring former Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh, who ruled from 1978 to 2012, to relinquish power and was praised for her efforts against tyranny in the Arab world and for promoting reconciliation between Shia and Sunni Muslims, countering terrorism and fostering dialogue between Islam and other religions. Appointed by the former UN Secretary-General to the High-Level Panel of Eminent Persons on the Post-2015 Development Agenda, she serves on the boards of several key international organizations, including the Nobel Women’s Initiative and Democracy for the Arab World Now (DAWN). Her own Tawakkol Karman Foundation plays an important role in building schools, fighting poverty and supporting health institutions in Yemen.

Topic of keynote speech:

• Sustainable development and shared future

Schedule:

Monday, November 17, 2025:

14:00 Public keynote speech and dialogue at the National Tsing Hua University in Hsinchu

Further information and free seat reservation via phone +886-3-5162498 or email
dgs@my.nthu.edu.tw