Courageous Women | 60 Minutes Full Episodes
20 Aug 2024 (29 days ago)
Nadia Murad and the Yazidi Genocide
- Nadia Murad, a 21-year-old from a Yazidi farming village, survived a massacre by ISIS.
- Murad was taken into slavery by ISIS, where she was repeatedly sold and raped.
- In 2018, Murad was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for her work exposing atrocities committed against women in war.
- Nadia Murad, a Yazidi human rights activist, won the Nobel Peace Prize for her work in bringing attention to the genocide of the Yazidi people by ISIS. (00:09:30)
- Iraqi courts are convicting thousands of ISIS suspects of terrorism, but none have been tried for the crime of genocide.
Shabana Basij-Rasikh and the SOLA School
- Shabana Basij-Rasikh founded the School of Leadership, Afghanistan (SOLA) to provide education for Afghan girls.
- Shabana Basij-Rasikh is the founder of SOLA, a school for girls in Afghanistan. She started the school because she was denied an education when the Taliban took over Afghanistan in 1996. (00:16:19)
- Shabana's parents disguised her as a boy so she could escort her older sister to a secret school during the Taliban's rule.
- SOLA is a 6th to 12th grade boarding school that provides education for girls from various backgrounds, including conservative families and different religious sects.
- Shabana, the founder of the Sol school, made a promise to a student's father to burn his daughter's records if the Taliban came to Kabul.
- On August 17th, amidst the Taliban takeover, the Sol school students were divided into groups and told to head to the airport, pretending to be children of staff members.
- Fatima, one of the students, got separated from her sister Areen in the chaotic crowds at the airport.
- More than 100 students and staff from the SOLA school, including Shabana, reached the US-controlled airport in Kabul seeking safety. (00:29:42)
- Shabana, whose name was on a Taliban hit list, helped the last group of 52 SOLA students escape Afghanistan after three days at the airport.
- The SOLA students are now living and attending school in Rwanda, where they have been warmly welcomed.
Life Under Taliban Rule
- Female colleagues in the Ministry of Finance were told to have male relatives take their jobs.
- In March of the previous year, girls were turned away from school after it was announced they would be allowed to return.
- Shabana Basij-Rasikh believes the United States government should focus on Afghanistan and not forget about the country.
Ukrainian Prisoners of War
- Mary Upole found out she was pregnant in March. (00:44:23)
- Russian soldiers separated Ukrainian prisoners of war and beat some of them.
- Mariana Mamonova was captured by Russian soldiers while pregnant.
- 1,800 Ukrainian prisoners of war have been freed through prisoner exchanges.
- Mariana Mova gave birth to her daughter, Anna, four days after being released from captivity.
The Chibok Schoolgirls and the New Foundation School
- 276 girls were kidnapped from their school in Chibok, Nigeria by the Islamic terrorist group Boko Haram. (00:54:30)
- The girls who were kidnapped were forced to convert to Islam and were punished if they did not.
- Reginal Braggs, a former naval officer, is the head of the New Foundation school and developed its educational program.
- The New Foundation school holds a spelling bee to help the girls with their English proficiency and to build their confidence.
- The Nigerian government is funding most of the schooling for the Chibok girls at the New Foundation school.
Resilience in the Face of Adversity
- Despite hardship, people persevere and return stronger and more determined. (01:06:59)
- The resilience of these people is impressive.