Nazeehah Khan - Alumni Impact Award

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Won't you celebrate with me
what I have shaped into
a kind of life? I had no model.
Born in Babylon
both nonwhite and woman
what did I see to be except myself?
I made it up
here on this bridge between
starshine and clay,
my one hand holding tight
my other hand; come celebrate
with me that everyday
something has tried to kill me
and has failed.
- Lucille Clifton
My name is Nazeehah Khan, I'm a sexual assault survivor, the Founder of Restraining Orders Without Borders (ROWB), a Policy Manager with a civil rights organization, and a 2018 graduate from the University of Cambridge under the care and guidance of Lucy Cavendish College with an MPhil in International Politics and Relations.
ROWB was born out of the trauma, rage, and frustration that followed being denied systemic safety after my sexual assault. Founded 8 months ago, we are a federal/state campaign advocating for the right to restraining orders regardless of residency status for 25 million sexual/domestic violence survivors in North America. We are celebrating having passed our first state law in June 2023 which protects 6 million people annually and are preparing for state/federal bills for the 2024 legislative session.
At my day job as a Policy Manager, I research, write, and advocate for legislation like the anti-caste bill which has triggered a global conversation on caste. We also work on policies that allow state employees to request time off for cultural holidays and ensuring hijabs for those incarcerated.
Policy work is how we facilitate systemic change, thus we align with several of the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
- Restraining orders are not just orders. They are symbols of the violence committed against us and of the protection that we deserve. ROWB and our laws empower women and girls by making the justice system a more even and fair process, closing the gaps that put women in danger, and preventing further violence - propelling forward state, national, and global gender equality.
- By increasing restraining order access to all survivors regardless of residency status we reduce inequal barriers not only to safety, but also to the pursuit of endeavors, including building careers and attaining educational opportunities outside of our hometowns. We ensure survivors are physically able to attend their jobs and classrooms because they are protected with a restraining order. Through this, we achieve the goals of decent work and economic growth and reduced inequalities.
- By changing laws which put survivors at a disadvantage and remodeling survivor rights in the justice system, we advance peace, justice, and strong institutions.
- By establishing safety for survivors and increasing access to resources which improve quality of life we create sustainable communities and encourage good health and well being.
- And lastly, by analyzing how we globally serve and protect survivors and modeling our work off of the data and research of thriving institutions in other countries, we build partnerships to ensure our goals are sustainable.

[@ZohaRaza]

Wow, amazing work ❤️