Noor Azizah

Noor Azizah, a Rohingya refugee, has overcome immense challenges in her life to become a dedicated advocate and educator. At the age of 8, she and her family resettled in Sydney in 2003, having fled the genocide of Rohingya people in Myanmar’s Arakan state. Noor’s early life was marked by homelessness, statelessness, and a sense of hopelessness.

Throughout her journey, Noor and her family faced perilous conditions, navigating thick jungles, evading danger, and enduring hunger. Despite these hardships, Noor has emerged as a strong voice for Rohingya women, who have experienced unimaginable atrocities such as systematic rape, torture, and the loss of loved ones. Their plight remains a constant motivation for her work.

Noor Azizah is the co – founder and director of the Rohingya Maìyafuìnor Collaborative Network which is a women-led, Rohingya-led and refugee-led organisation working on Rohingya human rights issues, SGBV, education and translocal solidarity with a focus on women, peace and security. 

Noor’s academic achievements include a Bachelor of Education specializing in Primary and TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) from the University of Sydney, accompanied by a Master of Peace and Conflict Studies. Her dedication and passion have been recognised through various accolades, including being named the recipient of the NSW Young Women of the Year award in 2024, receiving the Global Citizen Youth Leader Award for 2024, being featured as one of YAIA’s Young Women to Watch in International Affairs in 2022, winning the 2023 Stellar South Asian Women Awards in Australia for Outstanding Global Impact, appointed as a One Young World Ambassador, and becoming a member of the Indigenous Council and Global Security Council on Existential Threats in 2024.

A trailblazer in advocacy, Noor Azizah has graced panels and collaborated with distinguished figures, including UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador and acclaimed actress Cate Blanchett, Australian retired soccer player and human rights activist Craig Andrew Foster, renowned Australian cook, television presenter, and author Adam Liaw, as well as Assistant Secretary-General and Assistant High Commissioner for Protection Gillian Triggs. Notably, she has also engaged with Filippo Grandi, the High Commissioner of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, showcasing her commitment to making a meaningful impact on a global scale.

As a refugee delegate at the United Nations in Geneva, Noor has actively advocated for Rohingya women, speaking at The Global Refugee Forum in 2019. She has also been appointed as a refugee expert for the 2023 Global Refugee Forum, where her expertise will play a significant role in discussions focusing on pledges related to Gender-Based Violence (GBV), Education, and Statelessness. She holds a significant role as a Member of Australia’s inaugural Refugee Advisory Panel, representing the Australian government body. She also contributes to various organisations and initiatives, including the Gender Audit Team (UNSW & UNHCR), the ATCR Refugee Steering Group (Annual Tripartite Consultation on Resettlement UNHCR) and the U.S. Consulate General’s Sydney Youth Advisory Council.