October 11, 2020 in Women's News Female activists in Iran: Aliyeh Motallebzadeh, Ashraf Nafariyeh in Evin The Coronavirus has plagued all Iranian prisons. Women Reshaping Human Rights: How Extraordinary Activists Are Changing the World (South) Paperback - May 1, 1996 by Marguerite Guzman Bouvard Brandeis University; Author of The Path Through Grief: A Compassionate Guide (Author) 2 ratings Kindle $34.72 Read with Our Free App Hardcover The amount of abuse girls and women experience on social media is astonishing. Then Melina encountered a law enforcement system that seemed to not care. Taslima Nasrin is a Bangladeshi-Swedish writer, feminist, physician, activist, and secular humanist. During one period, the foundation trained 45 workers who went on to assist more than 10,000 mothers. When the Arab Spring erupted throughout the region, Saudi Arabia was not immune to internal dissent, but the government tried desperately to stamp out protests. More than 700,000 women and girls are imprisoned globallya number that has more than doubled since 2000. "We are gravely concerned for their well-being and safety", Ravina Shamdasani, spokesperson for the . Over the years, Kerry Kennedy has worked in over 60 countries on various human rights issues like child labor, ethnic violence, indigenous land rights, and freedom of expression. These female activists hoped to overturn the . A 2016 report from Human Rights Watch indicated that Sudanese authorities have historically silenced women activists with libel and rape threats. Throughout history, there have been many women human rights activists who have made significant contribution to the field. Her efforts have inspired other activists and her death has rallied the support of the international community. This is only one of the most lurid stats on racial disparity in the US, a country that is filled with structural and interpersonal inequalities. The latest incident saw gunmen assassinate Hanan Al Barrasi in broad daylight in Benghazi, Libya's second largest city. The movement continues. Government officials have targeted women involved in protests and rights campaigns, including students, teachers, lawyers and journalists, threatening to tar their reputations and warning of . 28 September 2022 Human Rights Iran must immediately stay the executions of two women sentenced to death for supporting the human rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and. Oftentimes, they put their lives on the line. Hirsi is the eldest daughter of prominent Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar, but she's earned a reputation in her own right as a climate change activist. 1. So when Nanfu Wang began documenting the efforts of activists against sexual violence, she came under government surveillance. . The organization issues about 120 grants per year to organizations in the Middle East, Asia, Central Asia, Turkey, and North America. Mateenah Hunter is a feminist human-rights lawyer based in Johannesburg. She and her husband became advocates of Holocaust education. While we acknowledge that the term women human rights defenders refers not only to women but also to all activists who defend womens human rights, our focus is on the roles, risks, and vulnerabilities of defenders who are women and gender non-conforming individuals. Ultimately, her troll slaying is making social media a safer place for women. The song became a huge hit and pressured her parents to back down. Taliban officials on Thursday arrested activist Zarifa Yaqobi and four men from the Movement of Change for . After learning about the sharp racially divided effects of climate change, then-15-year-old Hirsi sprung into action to get climate change on the official agendas of local and national lawmakers. Kabul [Afghanistan], November 4 (ANI): Taliban arrested women journalists and human rights activists, along with four men from the Hazara neighbourhood in West Kabul and intrusively disrupted a women's press conference held in the Dasht-e-Barchi area on Thursday as per reports by Khaama Press. Thanks for signing up as a global citizen. United Nations Commission on Human Rights, Declaration of the Rights of Woman and of the Female Citizen, Declaration on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women, Married Woman's Property Rights Association, Society for Promoting the Employment of Women, National Union of Women's Suffrage Societies, Women's International League for Peace and Freedom, National American Woman Suffrage Association, Boston Equal Suffrage Association for Good Government, Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2013, National American Women Suffrage Association, List of women pacifists and peace activists, Timeline of first women's suffrage in majority-Muslim countries, Timeline of women's rights (other than voting), "Fox, Muriel, 1928- . Nassima al-Sadah is a columnist and human rights activist who campaigned for civil . https://t.co/qHWHF0YInspic.twitter.com/XxQmLd05Kl. Nigeria has seesawed between peace and conflict for decades. Exposed to social justice activism at a young age, she grew up to be an outspoken supporter of civil rights and LGBTQA+ rights. She is the first American actress to join the Royal Shakespeare Company. The first Yemeni and the first Arab woman to be awarded the Nobel Prize and the youngest Nobel Peace laureate to date, Tawakkol Karman tops our list. Stephanie spearheads tough conversation. The great story of Asieh Amini, a real hero of modern #Iranhttps://t.co/LYKMbFmpKE. Journalism in the Middle East is challenging regardless of gender." . Rashmi Misra wanted to change this so she opened a school in her own home and began providing children from poor families with a rigorous education. Agnes Schultheiss (1873 - 1959) Active in the city of Ulm (picture), Agnes Schultheiss was committed to social and political causes. The daughter of Robert F. Kennedy, Kerry Kennedy serves as a human rights activist. The clerical regime, however, continues to transfer female activists to jail. Climate change is arguably the most important issue in the world. She was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire and won many literary awards. 1. She was given the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2011. Marina Picasso is a French humanitarian best known as the granddaughter of popular Spanish painter and sculptor Pablo Picasso. This International Womens Day, UN Women stands in solidarity with the courageous women who are leading the fight, by amplifying their voices with innovative storytelling technology. Published Online. So in 2005 she started her foundation that aims to improve maternal healthcare in Africa. She also became a much-admired woman in Australia where she placed more than 11,000 people in jobs and homes. Main Office Women human rights defenders are targeted for gender-based discrimination; in-person and online harassment; reputational slander; so-called "virginity" tests; threats against family members; violence, including sexual assault, in detention; and more as they advocate for justice, human dignity, and accountability. Women human rights defenders are broadly defined as women who defend the human rights of all, or individuals of all genders who defend the rights of women. The number of restrictions they face is dizzying. Sudanese security forces have used threats, assault and rape to silence female human rights activists, forcing many to abandon their work or flee the country, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said on Thursday. Activists for greater accountability and freedom in China are often detained and imprisoned. No one does." 2. Lydia Cacho. Since May 2018, authorities in Saudi Arabia have arrested some of the country's most prominent women human rights defenders. Maryam Namazie is a British-Iranian secularist, human rights activist, communist, commentator, and broadcaster. Apart from being an actress, she is also known for her humanitarian activities, especially in African countries. Last Edited. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was a regular at Georgia Gilmore's kitchen. The Taliban detained women journalists and human rights activists, as well as four men, from a press conference in west Kabul, the Afghan capital, disrupting the event and taking them to an undisclosed place. Her work and philanthropic activities gained media coverage after her wedding to actor George Clooney. She died of heart disease at 51. She was acquainted with Francis Ford Coppola who encouraged her to pursue a screenwriting career. Some 53 non-governmental organisations led by a network of female human rights activists submitted an open letter to an internet-based UN meeting on businesses and human rights in Asia and the . Around the world, women human rights defenders and womens rights activists fight for the rights and freedoms of women and all individuals, every day. She is also remembered for working for the welfare and rights of children and women. For more than a decade, a range of grassroots, justice, and women's groups have worked with progressive lawmakers in the country to push for the Human Rights Defenders Bill (or House Bill 9199 . African American activist, Yolanda King, was the first-born child of civil rights leaders Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King. Dr. Ruchama Marton, an Israeli psychiatrist and activist for peace in the Middle East, is a founder of Physicians for Human Rights/Israel. Safa al Ahmad illegally filmed peaceful uprisings in Saudi Arabia and managed to smuggle them out of the country to create Saudis Secret Uprising.. Tawakkol Karman. 415.248.4800, sexual and reproductive health and rights, Black Philanthropy Month: Interview with Two Black Feminist Philanthropic Leaders, Gender Justice in Afghanistan Is Non-Negotiable, Global Fund for Women Condemns U.S. Supreme Court Ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Womens Health. At least 250 million people worldwide face discrimination on the basis of caste and systems of inherited status. In 1993, she co-founded Transparency International, an organization that has become essential in the fight against corruption. Virtual reality film series: Women human rights activists Chief Theresa Kachindamoto. As of the spring of 2018, Clooney was an adjunct. Supermodel Liya Kebede grew up in Ethiopia and knew that the vast majority of births in the country take place in unsafe conditions that can lead to severe complications or death. Throughout history, there have been many women human rights activists who have made significant contribution to the field. Svetlana Agapitova Laxmi Agarwal Ifrah Ahmed Iris Akahoshi Luca Alberti Lyudmila Alexeyeva Hoda Ali Fazu Aliyeva Ana Rosario Contreras Pat Anderson (human rights advocate) Norma Andrade Linda Andre Shirley Andrews Peggy Antrobus Mxima Apaza Suzanne Arms Helen Armstrong (activist) Sally Armstrong (journalist) Sanghapali Aruna Ellen Atkinson These four virtual reality films, produced by Google with the support of UN Women and Vital Voices, give a glimpse into the experiences and struggles of four activists who are fighting to ensure no woman or girl is left behind. Working with UN Women, the government, civil society and traditional leaders, Chief Kachindamoto contributed to the February 2017 adoption of a constitutional amendment raising the minimum age of marriage from 15 to 18 years. One of her letters regarding anti-slavery was published by William Lloyd Garrison in his newspaper The Liberator in 1835. If a woman with a high profile dares to say something feminist, she will probably be viciously harassed. The resulting film Hooligan Sparrow has gained international renown. Alexeyeva received many prizes and awards for her human rights activities. Later on, she wrote an autobiographical account of the Holocaust, All but My Life, which was adapted into a short film. Hanaa Edwer, a prominent Iraqi human rights activist, said at least five female political activists have been killed in recent weeks by the Islamic State group in Mosul, including. The bulk of her work goes towards protecting immigrant communities in the South, and the U.S. Human Rights Network gave her the 2017 Human Rights Movement Builder Award for her advocacy work. Since she was granted clemency in June 2018, she has continued to raise awareness of the situation of women in prison systems. Since then, other activism has grown around women's rights, sex workers, youth, and LGBTQI+ issues. Today, Vidya Schools focuses on empowering young girls and women by providing a free education and imparting entrepreneurial skills. She is the president of a non-profit organization called Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights, which advocates human rights. The foundation focuses on training health workers who can then ensure safe births. Through her shelter, El Centro Integral de Atencin a las Mujeres, Cacho provides a safe space for survivors of trafficking, domestic violence and other forms of abuse and exploitation to access health, legal and other support services. For this, she was shot in her home. Maryam Namazie is also an outspoken critic of cultural relativism and the oppression of women in some Muslim countries. Audra Simpson. She has been a UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador and founded the first Guatemalan indigenous political party. Malaysian MP Maria Chin Abdullah is also a prominent human rights and womens rights activist. For Safa al Ahmad this gender oppression was compounded by the society-wide suppression of speech. -Safa Al Ahmad https://t.co/nlckqhXeAipic.twitter.com/TQnzcWJ5Z9. In Canada, there are as many as 4,000 missing and murdered indigenous women. A pioneer in grassroots citizenship education, Septima Clark was called the ''Mother of the Movement'' and the epitome of a ''community teacher, intuitive ghter for human rights and leader of her unlettered and disillusioned people." For more than 30 years, she taught throughout South Carolina. The Convention has been used to challenge discriminatory laws, interpret ambiguous provisions or where the law is silent, to confer rights on women, Navi Pillay, U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, said. Her entire family was accused of participating in guerrilla activities, brutalized, and killed by the Guatemalan army. Around the world, women activists work tirelessly to defend our freedoms and rights, despite threats and violence. When women human rights defenders work in conflict; under fundamentalism; in environments where natural resources and labor are controlled and appropriated by corporate powers; under patriarchy; and during crises of democracythey face increased threats and attacks. Award-winning Chinese American activist, author, and former journalist Helen Zia is one of the key figures in the Asian American movement. A UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, Mia was named in Time magazine's most influential people in the world list in 2008. So in 2005 she started her foundation that aims to improve maternal healthcare in Africa. In the face of resistance, Kowtal continues to give voice to Dalit women and their aspiration for equality. Oodgeroo Noonuccal was an Aboriginal Australian poet, political activist, artist, and educator. Here is a rundown of five of the most prominent female human rights activists in MENA. In order to create your account we need you to provide your email address. Dr. Jane Green Schaller is a US pediatrician whose 1985 According to the Guardian, Shes a co-founder of We The Protestors and Campaign Zero, a platform to end police violence. Julienne Lusenge Women's activist recognized for advocating for survivors of wartime sexual violence. Alice Johnson was a non-violent offender who was sentenced to life imprisonment. A leading advocate for abolition of death penalty, Roman Catholic sister, Helen Prejea,n started her campaign after she became spiritual guide for a death row convict, penning down her experience in her best-selling book, Dead Man Walking. For years, she had opposed the construction of a dam on indigenous land in Honduras. SECRETARY BLINKEN: Good morning, everyone. Asieh Amini first learned of this practice when she was reporting for a regional newspaper in Iran and was told that a 19-year old girl named Leyla with a mental age of 8 was going to be stoned to death because she was repeatedly raped by family members. Bianca Jagger is a Nicaraguan social rights advocate. Amal Clooney is a Lebanese-British barrister, specializing in human rights and international law. 1 February 2022 Human Rights. Some of the education problems in India include: an enormous shortage of teachers, one of the highest dropout rates in the world, and schools without functional toilets and running water. Mary Beard, a scholar of classical literature, faces online bile all the time. Scholar and . Happy International Day of the Midwife from #ethiopia! Women human rights defenders (WHRDs) are all women and girls working on any human rights issue ("women defenders" and "girl defenders"), and people of all genders who work to promote women's rights and rights related to gender equality. Women are second-class citizens in Saudi Arabia. Papers of NOW officer Muriel Fox, 1966-1971: A Finding Aid", International Journal of Qualitative Studies in Education, "The Democratic Platform Committee Now Has a Progressive Majority. She is best remembered for the anti-slavery speech which she gave outside Pennsylvania Hall in May 1838. Nanfu began using covert cameras to capture footage and eventually had to flee to country to make her workavailable to a larger audience. (The Washington Post/Getty/AP/EPA; Lily illustration) Rebecca Hughes November 30, 2018 2018 has been a tough year for human rights. Thanks, Bernie Sanders", National Women's Rights Convention (18501869), Women's suffrage organizations and publications, Emmeline and Christabel Pankhurst Memorial, Centenary of Women's Suffrage Commemorative Fountain, Timeline of women's legal rights (other than voting), https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=List_of_women%27s_rights_activists&oldid=1120331651, Short description is different from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, Micheal John O'Brien (21st century) CEO of, This page was last edited on 6 November 2022, at 12:44. These courageous activists have peacefully advocated for the right of women to drive, an end to the male guardianship system, and for justice and equality. She is credited with co-founding the Moscow Helsinki Watch Group, which is currently one of the most prominent human rights organizations in Russia. We're gathered today as we see remarkable displays of courage throughout Iran as women, young people, and many others continue to stand up for the fundamental rights that continue to be denied them by the Iranian regime. In 1908, she founded the Good Shepherd association, which took. In Iran, girls are sometimes stoned to death if they have sex outside of marriage, even if they are raped. 1. Fawzia Koofi, the founder of the Movement of Change for Afghanistan political party, and one of the members of the Afghan Peace Negotiation Delegation, in response to the Taliban's latest arrest, stated that the "Taliban must be held accountable for the arbitrary arrest of women human rights activist in Afghanistan.". A staunch advocate for human rights, women's rights, and LGBTQIA+ rights, Zia played a crucial role in mobilizing the Asian American community which was neither cohesive nor organized at this point in . She survived the Holocaust in which her entire family perished. The grave of the 46-year-old lawyer was desecrated days later. Fawzia Koofi, the founder of the Movement of Change for Afghanistan political party, and one of the members of the Afghan Peace Negotiation Delegation, in response to the Taliban's latest arrest, stated that the "Taliban must be held accountable for the arbitrary arrest of women human rights activist in Afghanistan." So she started the Women Without Walls Initiative that brings together women from different backgrounds to equips them with peace-building skills. Their courage is extraordinary. An internationally recognized author, Nasrin is renowned for expressing feminist views and her criticisms of religions. pic.twitter.com/wkbnUUX2Df. Esther Ibanga is a Nigerian pastor and founder of "Women Without Walls" #womeninredhttps://t.co/KDw6N7EHkPpic.twitter.com/tj1taPS55E. While the campaign ultimately failed to achieve its mission, it was the latest example of Ezekwesilis unflinching pursuit of justice. Amariyanna "Mari" Copeny In 2006, 8-year-old Copeny wrote a letter to President Barack Obama in which she referred to herself as "Little Miss Flint." In the letter she asked if she. San Francisco, CA 94102 Saudi Women's Rights Activists Appear In Riyadh Court Saudi activist Loujain al-Hathloul, whose trial along with other women activists has drawn global outcry, was not among those. American political activist, academic, and author, Angela Davis is well-known for her association with the Black Panthers in the 1960s and 1970s. In a country where 57 percent of girls are married before they are 19, Sonitas work has the potential to spark a sea change. Over time, some of these famous leaders become representatives of a larger movement - to the point that the achievements and sacrifices of those who fought alongside them are lost to history. The threats against her eventually grew so intense that she had to leave Iran and she now continues her work in Norway. Oppression and discrimination has not ended for Native people, but there are many influential, American Indian activists who are continuing to fight for their rights. She emerged as a prominent political activist in the 1960s and campaigned for aboriginal rights. Eva Longoria. When Sonita Alizadeh was 10 in Afghanistan, her parents tried to marry her off, but the proposal fell through. She is credited with founding the Bianca Jagger Human Rights Foundation, where she is currently serving as the chairperson. She was working to shed light on a series of sexual violence cases that were being brushed aside because they involved powerful local figures. According to sources, the Taliban arrested women journalists and activists in Kabul, including Zarifa Yaqoubi, one of the demonstrators who attended a press conference announcing the formation of the Afghan Women's Movement for Equality, on Thursday, November 3. But the new barriers didnt deter Nanfu. Surprisingly, shes pretty effective. One woman, Zarifa Yaqobi, and four male colleagues were arrested at the event and remained in detention on November 4, UN rights office spokesman Jeremy . Women human rights defender, author and journalist, Lydia Cacho, has dedicated her career to investigating and exposing human trafficking, sexual violence and impunity. Esther Ibanga saw how destructive this tendency is and realized that empowered woman could be the drivers of change. Over the years, she has led peaceful protests that number in the hundreds of thousands. Watch: Honorary graduate Obiageli Ezekwesili at the university ofEssex https://t.co/1x3NhonF8lpic.twitter.com/Bmyaz0qzyJ.