Shokhan Hama Rashid Ahmad is a human rights defender and activist working in the Iraqi Kurdistan Region. Ahmad is the director of Women’s Legal Assistance Organization (WOLA). WOLA is the first women-led legal aid organisation in the Iraqi Kurdistan Region. She is a member of the board of directors of the federation of civil society organisations. Ahmed has been working for more than 16 years to protect the rights of women, especially the victims of honour killing.

Shokhan is also a trainer in the field of domestic violence and advocacy. She regularly arranges seminars and workshops to raise legal awareness about domestic violence. She had a key part in the advocacy and campaigns for the passing of the domestic violence law at the Kurdistan Parliament. She received an honorary recognition from the Kurdistan Parliament for her work on laws related to women. She received the Dutch Consul’s Award in 2017 for working to reduce and eliminate female genital mutilation in different regions in Iraq, as well as activities that have led to the enactment of domestic violence law. Shokhan believes that women need to be bold by stepping up and ending violence and other abuses perpetrated against them.

Participant in: February/March 2021 Fellowship: Peacebuilding and Women’s Meaningful Participation in Peacebuilding Processes