Vian Dakhil, one of two Yazidi members in the Iraqi parliament and a member of the Kurdistan Democratic Party, gained international recognition in 2014 for her urgent plea to save the Yazidi people from ISIS attacks. Her speech in the Iraqi Parliament highlighted the siege of Mount Sinjar, bringing global attention to the humanitarian crisis faced by the Yazidi community. Dakhil’s advocacy was instrumental in securing international aid and military intervention that ultimately helped recapture Mount Sinjar.

She prioritizes the protection and rights of the Yazidi community, focusing especially on the survivors of ISIS captivity and assault. Born in 1971 in Mosul, Iraq, to an upper-class family, Dakhil is the oldest of nine siblings, with six in the medical field. She holds an MS in Biology and a BS in Microbiology from Salahuddin University. Initially an academic, she taught at Salahuddin University and later at the College of Pharmacy, Hawler Medical University.

Her political career was inspired by the targeting of her Yazidi students amid Iraq’s internal conflicts. Now in her second term in parliament, she also founded the Mercy Charity Organization to aid her community. For her advocacy, Dakhil received numerous awards, including the Anna Politkovskaya Award (2014), CNN’s Woman of the Year (2014), and the Bruno Kreisky Human Rights Award (2015).