Samantha was subject to child sexual exploitation from the age of 12. The vast majority of her abusers went unpunished, and Samantha has spent more than a decade trying to establish why.
Using data protection laws and official complaints processes to unearth evidence, she pieced together how she was failed by those employed to protect her. Despite both Greater Manchester Police and the IOPC upholding many of Samantha's complaints, no fresh charges have been brought against the suspects still at large and no officer has faced a misconduct charge. This prompted Samantha to call for an independent inquiry into child sexual exploitation in Oldham and the Government has subsequently announced the town will be subject to a local inquiry with statutory powers. Her hope is that exposing past failings will lead to greater scrutiny - improving outcomes for current victims of child sexual exploitation. Samantha has also written about her experiences in the book ‘Undefeated’.
Yasmin Javed's only child, Fawziyah Javed was murdered by her husband. In September 2021 Fawziyah, who was four months pregnant, was pushed off Arthur’s Seat in Edinburgh.
Yasmin gave permission for her and the family to be filmed by Channel 4 during the court trial and the two-part documentary was televised in 2024. She has given several press interviews to raise awareness of honour-based violence (HBV) and been a speaker at Scottish and English parliament in order to bring change.
Yasmin has also worked with the charity Karma Nirvana and she is part of the group Killed Women.
For Women Scotland is a grassroots group founded in 2018 in response to proposed reforms to Scotland’s Gender Recognition Act to remove the requirement for a medical diagnosis of gender dysphoria for people wishing to change their legal sex. In April 2025, the group won a landmark Supreme Court ruling affirming that terms like ‘woman’ in the Equality Act 2010 refer to biological females.
Ibtissame is a clinical psychologist specialising in Criminology and Victimology. She is a nomad activist and conference speaker. In 2009, she founded M.A.L.I. Alternative Movement for Individual Liberties - Morocco, a feminist civil disobedience movement that organises campaigns for women's rights, against religious inquisition, and all forms of patriarchal oppression. She is currently in prison in Morocco, unjustly imprisoned.
Nominees
Caroline Grant
Francesca Barker-Mills
Hayley Crawford
Hibo Wardere
Kellie Ziemba
Nina Aouilk