American Academy of Achievement presents Nadia Murad with the Golden Plate Award at its International Achievement Summit.
On 18 May 2019, the American Academy of Achievement presented Nadia Murad with its Golden Plate Award during the 2019 International Achievement Summit. The award honors men and women whose accomplishments have had a significant impact across fields such as public service, science, the arts, and humanitarian work.
Murad’s selection placed a young Yazidi survivor‑advocate alongside established global figures, affirming that her efforts to end sexual violence in conflict and secure justice for genocide survivors constitute a world‑shaping achievement. At the Summit, she joined dialogues with leaders from diverse disciplines, further integrating human‑rights advocacy into broader conversations about leadership and global challenges.
The award was significant for its intergenerational dimension: the Academy often brings together rising young leaders with more senior laureates. Murad’s presence and story offered a powerful example to younger participants of how lived experience, particularly of gendered and communal violence, can be transformed into sustained, institutionalized activism.
For women’s history, the honor reflects the growing recognition that combating sexual violence in war and advocating for minority rights are central contributions to global progress, worthy of being celebrated alongside more traditional markers of achievement.