Pavey was born on July 10, 1976 in Ankara, Turkey. Her parents were Şahin and Ayşe Önal, a journalist. In 1994 she moved to Switzerland with her husband to study art and film. In 1996, Pavey lost her left arm and left leg in a train accident in Zurich. One year later, she went to London to study. She studied international studies at the University of Westminster. She finished her master's degree at the London School of Economics.