Scholars at Risk Speaker Series: Marvi Sirmed

Prior to working with Scholars at Risk (SAR), Marvi was a journalist in Pakistan where she began – much to the dissatisfaction of her publishers – writing about incidents of violence against women, and “honor killings” in particular. Marvi Sirmed drew the ire of many, and particularly those who were invested in the system as it existed. She persisted nonetheless, even after surviving an assassination attempt. In 2019, the threats intensified, and she sought refuge and moved to the United States. She initially worked with the National Endowment for Democracy, and has since been providing incredible classroom experiences at UConn while continuing her outspoken human rights activism.