Manizha

Manizha is a musician and songwriter who has been supporting the UN Refugee Agency since October 2019. She was appointed as a Goodwill ambassador for UNHCR in Russia in December 2020.

About Manizha

Manizha's engagement with UNHCR was driven by her personal story, which she used as a tool for empowerment and solidarity – in 1994 during the Tajikistan civil war, a shell hit her family house, forcing them to flee the country and move to Russia.

In 2019, Manizha released a video clip to her song "Mama" to help spotlight the issue of domestic violence as part of an awareness-raising campaign she initiated that year to launch the SILSILA mobile app, providing an alarm button for those who have experienced abuse at home.

Manizha was invited to UNHCR-organized events to speak about her own experience and meet with refugee women to discuss challenges and issues they were faced with. She also worked with children and youth, motivating them to continue exploring arts and pursuing education, integrating in the country while keeping their own cultures alive. Manizha continuously stressed the need to ensure school enrolment of refugee children in her public and media engagements. She also focused on the harmonious development of the refugee youth through art and sports as well as discovering talents among refugee children.

In May 2021, Manizha represented Russia at the Eurovision Song Contest. She was one of the two singers with refugee backgrounds representing their host countries in the competition.

In October 2021, Manizha performed at UNHCR’s Nansen Refugee Award virtual ceremony with her song “I Am Who I Am,” which resonates with the refugee theme and has the following lyrics: “I pray one day ain't no borders. Wherever I go. I feel like I'm home.”

Within the World Refugee Day events in the Russian Federation in June 2023, Manizha and her mother participated in a culinary workshop involving refugee chefs from UNHCR’s “Kitchen Stories” cookbook, where they are also featured. The workshop included the preparation of traditional dishes from the refugees’ countries of origin and a discussion reflecting on displacement experiences. Manizha also performed a song for the attendees.

Manizha maintains that refugees should be able to enjoy fundamental rights and have equal opportunities to realize their potential and succeed in life.