Shada Nasser is a Yemeni lawyer and human rights activist dedicated to protecting the rights of women in Yemen. She was the first female Yemeni lawyer and the first female lawyer not to cover her face in Yemen courts.” In 1996, Shada founded an all-female law firm “Pioneer Female Lawyers and represents Yemeni women and girls as a defence lawyer. As an opponent of child marriages in Yemen, she provides legal support for girls to get divorced. In 2008, she succeeded in divorcing Nujood Ali Alahdal, who at the time of divorce was ten, making her the youngest divorcee in the world. Ali’s case encouraged other young female brides in Yemen to seek divorce, and Shada, together with Nujood Ali, were elected Women of the Year at Glamour Magazine. Shada also worked as a lawyer for several NGO’s such as Doctors without Borders, World Doctors and Best Yemen.

Participant in: November 2017 Fellowship: Peacebuilding and Women’s Meaningful Participation in Peacebuilding Processes