Hanaa Edwar, a lawyer by training, has championed human rights for over 40 years. She co-founded and serves as General Secretary of Al Amal, a non-political and non-sectarian organization dedicated to improving the socioeconomic conditions of Iraqis since its establishment in 1992. Edwar also helped form the Iraqi Women’s Network, an alliance of over 80 women’s organizations across Iraq, and led a civil initiative to preserve the constitution. In 2010, she won a Supreme Federal Court case that compelled the Iraqi parliament to reconvene after a delay, a significant victory for Iraq’s democracy.

Her activism extends to gender equality and constitutional rights, with a particular focus on preventing violence against women. She has led numerous campaigns for women’s rights and co-drafted the Law for the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence in Iraq. Edwar’s humanitarian work spans Baghdad and Kurdistan, where she collaborates with organizations like Asuda, an NGO dedicated to protecting women from violence.

Edwar’s early activism began as a student with the Iraqi Women Association, for which she was imprisoned in 1963. She escaped, representing Iraqi women internationally and later resettled in Lebanon and Syria, becoming a key figure in the fight against dictatorship. Her contributions earned her the Sean MacBride Peace Prize from the International Peace Bureau in 2011 and the United Nations Appreciation Certificate of Human Rights Defender. She holds a law degree from Baghdad University.