Wonder Woman of the Week: Tawakkol Karman

Tawakkol Karman is one of a handful of Arabic journalists challenging strict gender roles in the 21st Century Arab world, but Karman herself is leading the cause in her native Yemen where she earned the name "The Iron Woman" for her work in feminist activism. Karman's entrance into the realm of social activism began during the Arab Spring movements in the Arabic-speaking world. In 2005, Karman founded an organization called Women Journalists Without Chains as a group of women journalists for advancing human rights in Yemen and abroad.

When protests in Egypt began in 2012 as part of the larger revolutionary movement, Karman set to work providing assistance from Yemen by supporting social activists and even tried to smuggle herself into the country to assist in a coups against the Egyptian government. This advanced work came after rioting in her own country of Yemen where she organized student protests. By the end of 2011, KArman had entered the international stage by working with United Nations partner NGO's and touring the United States as a public speaker.

For her 2011 work, Tawakkol Karman earned a Nobel Peace Prize as the first Arab woman to earn the award. Karman learned about receiving the award while camped out during a protest in Yemen where she and fellow protestors were under the watchful eye of pro-government snipers. Since receiving her award, Karman has continued to protest tyrannical governments in the Arab world and continues to tour the world with speeches on the advancement of feminism in Islamic nations.