Advocate for Girls' Education; Co-founder and President of Her Story
Age: 18
Nationality: Afghan refugee based in Canada
Pronouns: she/her/hers
Nila is a youth activist and advocate for the rights of Afghan girls and displaced youth. She is the co-founder of , a storytelling initiative that amplifies the voices of Afghan girls through narratives of courage, resilience and hope. By documenting the experiences of girls both inside Afghanistan and across the diaspora, Nila uses storytelling as a tool for connection and change.
At just 13, she led a viral campaign that successfully overturned a government ban preventing Afghan girls over the age of 12 from singing in public, an act that marked the beginning of her lifelong advocacy for education and gender equality. After the Taliban’s return to power in 2021, Nila and her family fled Afghanistan, spending months in hiding before resettling in Canada. Since then, she has continued to champion girls’ education and represent displaced communities on global stages, including the Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy, the UK House of Lords, and TED Vancouver.
Nila is a recipient of the International Children’s Peace Prize and has been recognized by CNN’s As Equals, the MOSAIC Awards, and with King Charles III’s Coronation Medal for her leadership and activism.