Alaa Murabit

Alaa Murabit (born 1989) is a Canadian physician, Meritorious Service Cross Recipient, one of 17 Global Sustainable Development Goals Advocates appointed by the Secretary-General of the United Nations, and a UN High-Level Commissioner on Health Employment and Economic Growth. In 2016 she founded a global Mentorship Programme for emerging leaders and co-founded The Omnis Institute, an independent non-profit organization committed to challenging critical global issues through the empowerment of emerging local leaders, and became the executive director of Phase Minus 1, which provides thought leadership in conflict resolution and inclusive security. Alaa previously founded and spearheaded Voice of Libyan Women at the age of 21. Her TED Talk, released in July 2015, "What my religion really says about women" has been viewed over four million times, was selected as the TED Talk of the Day and one of four moving TED Talks you should watch right now by The New York Times and one of 12 TED Talks That Define the Future of Feminism . At the age of 15 Alaa completed high school and moved from Saskatoon, Canada to Zawia, Libya, where she enrolled in medical school and founded Voice of Libyan Women at the age of 21. With a strong focus on challenging societal and cultural norms and utilizing traditional and historical role models, Murabit champions women's participation in peace processes and conflict mediation. An international expert in international security, peacebuilding, sustainable development, leadership, global health policy and negotiation, her policies and programs are replicated internationally. An MIT Media Lab Director's Fellow, Ashoka fellow, and International Deliver For Good Influencer, Alaa serves as a board member for The Malala Fund, International Alert, Malaria No More UK, and Women’s March Global. In 2017, Murabit was named a member of the Helena Group, an "elite and edgy" think tank of global leaders focused on executing projects that improve the world. Murabit is invited to speak globall