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Saskatchewan-born Alaa Murabit, a medical doctor and the sixth of 11 children in her family, describes herself as only an accidental activist.

“I never had any intention of being an advocate,” says Murabit, who was raised in an education-oriented family in Saskatoon before moving to Libya when she was 15.

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“My parents never made any distinction between me and my brothers. That was extremely important to the way I looked at the world.”

After moving to Zawiya, Libya, however, Murabit says she grew frustrated seeing how her male counterparts were touted as examples of future ministers or doctors, while female students were relegated to the sidelines.

“I started realizing that regardless of how much I studied, or how much smarter I was than my male classmate, his opinion always trumped mine,” she said.

“I felt very much robbed of my own opportunity and my own rights.”

Murabit petitioned her university to allow women to sit on student council. At the time that was illegal.