Marina Pisklakova-Parker is one of Russia’s leading women’s rights activists. She studied aeronautical engineering in Moscow, and while conducting research at the Russian Academy of Sciences, was startled to discover family violence had reached epidemic proportions. In July 1993, she founded the first domestic violence crisis hotline in Russia. Today, her organization, ANNA (Association No to Violence), has expanded to include a network of more than 40 crisis centers across Russia.

In addition to her groundbreaking work on domestic violence, Marina Pisklakova-Parker has become deeply involved in the issue of trafficking of Russian women and children. She is working to engage her government and Russian embassies around the world in protecting and repatriating trafficking victims back to Russia. She has worked closely with the Organization on Security and Cooperation in Europe and is active in public awareness campaigns and other outreach efforts to warn off potential trafficking victims.

Marina serves as a founding member of the Vital Voices Global Advisory Council and was awarded the 2004 Human Rights Global Leadership Award.  Her story is featured in the documentary play Seven along with six other Global Advisory Council members and in 2008, Marina traveled to the United States, in honor of International Women's Day, to speak in a Vital Voices panel discussion at Emerson College and to attend a private screening of Seven in New York City.  She continues to be an active member of our Global Leadership Network, participating in international summits, regional programs and targeted human rights trainings and discussions.

Learn More

• Vital Viewpoint: Empowering Domestic Violence Victims & the Women Working to Defend Them, a Profile of Marina by Melysa Sperber
• Read Marina's blog from International Women's Day, 2008