TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Academia Sinica hosted Nobel Peace Prize laureate Nadia Murad on Monday as part of its Taiwan Bridges event series, inviting her to speak on global efforts to end conflict-related sexual violence.

Murad delivered a speech titled “Who Can Influence the End of CRSV Worldwide? — The Power of Personal Stories and the Role of Activism,” calling on the international community to ensure survivors’ voices are included in policy discussions so that fewer people experience the same suffering, per press release.

Murad, a member of the Yazidi ethnic minority in Iraq, survived the 2014 attack on her hometown of Kocho. After escaping persecution, she began advocating internationally, urging governments and multilateral institutions to address conflict-related violence as a critical human rights issue.

In her lecture, Murad reflected on her upbringing, saying she had “almost no public space of her own.” She said that experience inspired her to establish the New Women’s Center in Sinjar, which provides a safe environment for women to learn, share experiences, receive psychological support, and discuss topics including community rebuilding, education, and livelihoods.

Murad said conflict-related violence is not only an individual trauma but also tied to international law, politics, ethnic identity, and socio-cultural dynamics. She emphasized that governments and international organizations must strengthen legal systems and prosecution mechanisms to ensure accountability for perpetrators.

She added that support from NGOs and local communities is “crucial and indispensable” and expressed hope that global cooperation will prioritize survivors’ perspectives in policymaking and cross-border efforts to prevent further atrocities.

After the talk, many attendees brought copies of “The Last Girl,” a memoir based on her own experiences. Ms. Murad engaged with readers, generously sharing her thoughts.

The Taiwan Bridges Series is organized by Academia Sinica, National Taiwan University, and 11 other domestic academic and research institutions in partnership with the International Peace Foundation. The series aims to deepen exchanges between Taiwan and leading global scholars, with 10 Nobel laureates scheduled to speak between November and April on topics spanning peace, chemistry, physics, and biomedicine.

Academia Sinica said the next lecture will be held on Jan. 16, featuring Serge Haroche, the 2012 Nobel Laureate in Physics, who will speak on “New Developments and Applications in Laser Science, Quantum Optics, Electronics, and Computing.”