In post-crisis Sri Lanka, young women from minority communities often grew up in fear, with limited platforms to express themselves. Nabeela Iqbal set out to change that.
Through her initiative Write for Justice, Nabeela is amplifying unheard voices – one story at a time.
By the time she joined the Kofi Annan Changemakers programme in 2023, Nabeela had already begun empowering young women to write boldly about social justice issues. With the Kofi Annan Changemakers seed grant, mentorship, and international platform, she deepened her work at a critical moment in her country’s history.
Since joining the programme, Nabeela has:
- Trained 20 young women from minority communities in justice-focused reporting.
- Provided one-on-one mentorship to develop powerful stories on peacebuilding, women’s rights, and minority rights.
- Published a bilingual zine (in English and Tamil) featuring voices from across Western, Sabaragamuwa, Central, and Eastern provinces.
- Created a safe platform for Muslim women to reclaim their voices after years of marginalisation.
Through Write for Justice, Nabeela is not only helping young women tell their stories, she’s helping them shape Sri Lanka’s future.
