Oklahoma City Community College (OCCC) professor, Dr. Nyla Ali Khan, spoke at the Oklahoma Women’s March 2020 Jan. 25. The march took place at Scissortail Park in Oklahoma City, and more than 350 people attended the event. In her speech, Dr. Khan honored the bravery of Nadia Murad, an Iraqi Yazidi activist, and victim of sexual violence. Dr. Khan praised Murad’s resilience in the face of horrific mistreatment and violence.

“Violence of any kind is unacceptable,†said Khan. “I believe a lot more could be done toward prosecuting perpetrators of sexual violence and increasing women’s participation in post-conflict peacekeeping.â€

Dr. Nyla Ali Khan is an educator, activist and author of several published books, articles and editorials. In March 2019, Dr. Khan was appointed as the first South Asian Muslim member of the Oklahoma Commission on the Status of Women. Through her position, Dr. Khan provides research on the structural animosity and societal violence against women.

“Women can play an important role in establishing new forums for citizen cooperation,†said Dr. Khan. “Female leaders can lead the way by offering new ideas, building broad-based political coalitions, and working to bridge organizational divides.â€

What started as the largest single-day protest in U.S. history, turned into a network of 1.2 million strong women, and allies across the nation. The Women’s March is a diverse, women-led movement that values transformative social change, and dismantling systems of oppression through nonviolent resistance.

“Women must be politically empowered,†said Dr. Khan. “The creation of awareness not just at the individual level but at the collective level, organizes and mobilizes for social change.â€