A story of a great struggle by a young girl
Nada’s story as a human rights activist started in 2013, when she was 11 years old. She refused to be a victim of child marriage and told her story to the world. Although she faced many struggles and disappointments, she has never surrendered.
Educating a child will empower a generation, and educating a generation will create a great civilized society.
Targeting education as a fundamental human right of children, the Nada Foundation has secured funding from the profits of the book of Nada to teach the English language to 10,000 girls in Internally Displaced Persons Camps.
The special education allows girls to seek further schooling via remote learning programs offered by International Universities, as well as to seek job opportunities online after graduation.
Read more about Our Dreams Thrive
One girl’s refusal, followed step by step to where it stands today.
Aged 11, Nada Al-Ahdal fled her home in Yemen to escape a forced marriage — one week before the wedding. She fled to the home of her uncle, Abdel Alahdal, who had raised her from early childhood (Al-Thawra Net, 14 July 2013 · archived copy).
Her video message had 8 million views in under three days and was translated into more than 40 languages. She had recorded it as a message to her uncle Abdel Alahdal, who was away on a business trip (Al Jazeera Net, 7 January 2019 · archived copy; The National, 24 November 2022 · archived copy).
It sparked international coverage and led the Yemeni government to introduce laws criminalising child marriage.
Prime Minister Ahmed Obaid bin Daghr backed the idea of the Nada Foundation (The National, 24 November 2022 · archived copy). The Nada Foundation in Yemen was established with the help and support of her uncle Abdel Alahdal: about 80% of his salary went into it, together with the proceeds of her book (Al Jazeera Net, 7 January 2019 · archived copy).
She later survived a 14-day abduction by ISIS. Her uncle Abdel Alahdal was taken with her and held for the same fourteen days (The National, 24 November 2022 · archived copy).
Nada Foundation received the “With and For Girls” award from Purposeful, in London.
Winner of the Arab Woman of the Year 2022 award in London. She was then living in Newcastle with her uncle Abdel Alahdal (The National, 24 November 2022 · archived copy). Read more about the Arab Woman of the Year 2022 award
A feature by Abi Scaife for Smiley Movement: “The 10 year old who awoke the world to a vital cause”. Read it
Joined the University of York to study International Law.
Despite her young age, Nada has made great achievements through her strong will, commitment, and belief in defending the rights of young girls. Making her voice heard, Nada changed her complicated society and helped girls in Yemen.
The Foundation was established in order to protect and advance the human rights of children in Yemen. A number of projects have been launched, most notably an awareness program (Children of War are Peacemakers), a program designed to directly protect the rights of children (Safe Havens), and an educational program (Our Dreams Thrive) with full funding from the Foundation. The Nada Foundation in Yemen was established with the help and support of her uncle Abdel Alahdal: about 80% of his salary went into it, together with the proceeds of her book, according to Al Jazeera Net; Prime Minister Ahmed Obaid bin Daghr backed the idea.
Michel Lafon Publishing released a book describing Nada’s story. The book was translated into Dutch and French and also appeared in electronic format helping to spread awareness of Child Marriage. Its proceeds, together with much of the salary of her uncle Abdel Alahdal, went into the Nada Foundation, according to Al Jazeera Net.
The project aims to provide English language education to 10,000 girls in displacement camps, offering them the opportunity to continue their studies through online learning programs provided by international universities, as well as enabling them to seek online job opportunities after graduation.
The Nada Foundation launched the Safe Havens Project to aid girls forced into marriage before the age of majority, and those who have suffered domestic violence. Safe Havens performs these services in keeping with the UN’s Convention on the Rights of the Child Treaty which has been ratified by Yemen.
Nada has established many highly impactful humanitarian programs to promote education and protect girls from underage marriage and domestic violence. This effort was achieved through the use of media and community outreach and awareness programs.
Nada was nominated in 2018 for the International Children’s Peace Prize of KidsRights, for her struggle to end the marriage of children in the Arab world and her media presence.
After she appeared at the Comprehensive National Dialogue Conference, to speak out against child marriage, Nada was detained. At the debate she was seen pleading for her right not to marry, and citing the self-immolation of her teenaged aunt, and her older sister’s suicide attempt when faced with early marriage. Perceiving her action as a threat, state officials pressured the Ministry of Internal Affairs to arrest 11-year-old Nada. She was taken to prison where she was held for 10 days.
Just weeks after she was released from prison, Nada continued her mission to fight Child Marriage, this time appearing on a Lebanese television program. Upon her return to Yemen, Nada was stopped at the airport and detained by the Internal Affairs Office for 7 hours. Her passport was confiscated and she was forced to sign an agreement preventing her from further media appearances until the completion of the Comprehensive National Dialogue Conference on Child Marriage.
With her passport withheld, Nada tried to travel for the launch of her book and to receive International awards for her work on preserving the Rights of the Child. She was prevented from traveling and placed under house arrest.
Attempting to leave Yemen in order to complete her education and continue her Human Rights work, Nada and her uncle Abdel Alahdal were kidnapped together by ISIS. They were taken to a secret location, where they were interrogated blindfolded for the first three days, and released after two weeks.
Upon meeting with the Prime Minister Dr. Ahmed Obeid bin Daghr, Nada was able to convey the suffering of Yemeni children and offer up suggestions for ways to help. She was able to impress the Prime Minister with the urgent need to legally ban child marriage, domestic violence and forms of wartime exploitation, earning her the honor of being called the Ambassador of Arab Children, and an Icon of Yemen.
Nada gained the support of Dr. Abdullah Al-Matooq, the personal advisor of his Highness the Crown Prince of Kuwait and the Minister of Awqaf. In the meeting Dr. Al-Matooq expressed admiration and encouragement for Nada’s work in amplifying the voice of children around the world, promising to assist the Nada Foundation in humanitarian efforts.
Nada met with Dr. Dipu Moni, in Kuwait, and shared her vision for a better future for children. The Bangladeshi Foreign Minister expressed encouragement for Nada’s advocacy work.
Heralded as the Ambassador of the Arab Childhood, Nada gained an audience with a group of princes and government officials responsible for human rights in the Gulf States.
Currently there are no local laws protecting underage girls from domestic violence and other human rights abuses in Yemen. The Nada Foundation advocates for girls by creating social dialogue and changing public opinion about these unjust practices.
In bringing these topics into public discourse, the foundation sheds light on perpetrators of abuse, creating hope for girls, and repercussions for those who violate their rights.
When Nada heard of a 10-year-old girl, Rasha, who was brutally killed by her brother and hastily buried to conceal the crime, Nada advocated on her behalf. Nada made the case a topic of public discussion in the media resulting in the arrest and trial of Rasha’s brother. It was revealed that Rasha had taken 1,500 Yemeni rials, about $30, from her brother’s pocket to buy her mother a Mother’s Day gift on 21 March 2018, and as a result was beaten to death.
In another successful example of advocacy, Nada publicized the severe physical abuse and torture by fire of a girl named Shaima, beaten and burned by her father, who almost met the fate of the girl Maab. Nada’s persistence in advocating for Shaima forced the security services to arrest the culprit and bring him to trial three days after his crime. The father was brought to court but was soon released and Shaima returned to his custody; the court said that Yemeni law “does not protect the girl, nor punish the culprit”. Nada faced a challenge that is the absence of laws protecting minors but did not surrender: she stepped up her media campaign and proclaimed a hunger strike, refusing food and drink, in a live broadcast on social media under the hashtag #SaveShaima. On the second day the public prosecution responded: Shaima’s father was returned to prison and Shaima was placed under the protection of the Ministry of the Interior; on the third day she was handed to her grandmother, who took on her protection and with whom she wished to live. The Foundation proceeded by granting a comprehensive scholarship to Shaima and ensuring her education.
The life march of the girl Nada Al-hdal
Kidnapped by al-Qaeda, placed under house arrest and arrested by the Interior Ministry
With Smiley at the Charity Film Awards
Guest of the M-PWRD podcast, episode 25
Award winner for women in London, 2022
Interview with RAC1 radio for the Drac awards
A speaker of Speak Up, episode 6 — Smiley News
Married and divorced at the age of 10 — her TEDx talk
Her speech at the international charity conference in Kuwait
Remember Nada Al-Ahdal? Where she is today
We are all Israa Ghrayeb: a crime against every Arab girl
Changing customs and traditions takes the whole community
Live on Yaqeen radio, Jordan
Welcoming children back to school
International journalists cannot convey the suffering of Yemenis
IKWRO has named Abdel Alahdal, Nada Al-Ahdal’s uncle, among the nominees and winners of its True Honour Awards 2025, for standing by her escape from child marriage before anyone else did.
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