Karman, Tawakul (1979-…), is a Yemeni activist and journalist who won the 2011 Nobel Peace Prize. Karman is a member of Yemen’s leading opposition party, Al-Islah. Al-Islah calls for reform in accordance with Islamic principles. Karman became known as an outspoken critic of Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Salih. She was a key figure in protests against his regime in 2011.
Karman was born on Feb. 7, 1979, in Ta’izz, Yemen. Her first name is sometimes spelled Tawakkul. In 2005, Karman founded Women Journalists Without Chains, an organization seeking to defend human rights and free expression. Karman shared the Nobel Peace Prize with two influential women from Liberia, activist Leymah Gbowee and President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf. The Nobel committee cited “their non-violent struggle for the safety of women and for women’s rights.”
