Solange Pierre, known as Sonia Pierre, was a human rights advocate in the Dominican Republic who worked to end antihaitianismo, which is discrimination against individuals of Haitian origin either born in Haiti or in the Dominican Republic. For this work, she won the 2006 Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Award.
The International Women of Courage Award, also referred to as the U.S. Secretary of State's International Women of Courage Award, is an American award presented annually by the United States Department of State to women around the world who have shown leadership, courage, resourcefulness, and willingness to sacrifice for others, especially in promoting women's rights.
Ana Brenda Contreras Pérez, also known as Ana Breco, is a Mexican actress, model and businesswoman.
Henriette Ekwe Ebongo is a Cameroonian journalist, publisher and political activist. She was awarded the International Women of Courage Award in 2011.
Razan Zaitouneh is a Syrian human rights lawyer and civil society activist. Actively involved in the Syrian uprising, she went into hiding after being accused by the government of being a foreign agent and her husband was arrested. Zaitouneh has documented human rights in Syria for the Local Coordination Committees of Syria. Zaitouneh was kidnapped on 9 December 2013, most likely by Jaysh al-Islam. Her fate remains unknown. It is suspected that she has been killed.
Jineth Bedoya Lima is a Colombian journalist who was abducted in May 2000 and August 2003. In 2001, she was awarded the Courage In Journalism Award of the International Women's Media Foundation.She also won the Golden Pen of Freedom award by the World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers in 2020.
Josephine Obiajulu Okei-Odumakin is a Nigerian women's rights activist. She is the president of the human rights groups, Women Arise for Change Initiative and the Campaign for Democracy.
Oinikhol Bobonazarova is a Tajikistani activist. In 1993, she was arrested, and convicted of treason for supposedly plotting a coup. After serving a few months in jail, she became a human rights counselor in the Tajik office of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. She has also worked for the Tajik branch of the Open Society Foundation, and as of 2013 she is in charge of the “Perspektiva Plus” human rights group, which works for the rights of prisoners, women, and Tajikistani labor migrants. She has also worked to create Tajikistan's first independent prison monitoring program since its prisons were closed to outside access in 2004.
The Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy is an annual human rights summit sponsored by a coalition of 20 non-governmental organizations. Each year, on the eve of the United Nations Human Rights Council's main annual session, activists from around the world meet to raise international awareness of human rights situations.
Wang Yu is a Chinese human rights lawyer. She was arrested by Chinese authorities in 2015 when China initiated the 709 Crackdown against human rights attorneys. She was charged with inciting subversion of state power which is a serious offense in China carrying a life sentence. She was awarded an International Women of Courage Award in 2021.
Cindy Arlette Contreras Bautista is a Peruvian lawyer and social activist. She is an International Women of Courage Award recipient, and was also included in the Time 100 list of the most influential people.
Julienne Lusenge is a Congolese human rights activist recognized for advocating for survivors of wartime sexual violence. She is co-founder and President of Female Solidarity for Integrated Peace and Development (SOFEPADI) and director of the Congolese Women's Fund (FFC). She is the recipient of the 2018 Women’s International Rights Award from the Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy and the 2016 Ginetta Sagan Award from Amnesty International. She received the Human Rights Award from the Embassy of France and named a Knight of the Legion of Honour by the French Government. She was awarded an International Women of Courage Award in 2021. On October 10, 2021, she was awarded the Aurora Prize for Awakening Humanity, at the Armenian Monastery on the island of San Lazzaro in Venice, Italy.
Marini De Livera is a Sri Lankan lawyer and social activist who also served as former chairperson of the National Child Protection Authority (NCPA) in Sri Lanka. In 2019, she was awarded the International Women of Courage Award by the United States Department of State.
Naw K'nyaw Paw is a Karen peace activist who works for women's rights in Myanmar. She is the General secretary of the Karen Women’s Organisation, and won an International Women of Courage Award in 2019.
The following lists events in the year 2021 in Venezuela.
Ranitha Gnanarajah is a Sri Lankan human rights activist and lawyer. She has been widely praised for her efforts in advocating for the rights of victims of enforced disappearances and those detained under the Prevention of Terrorism Act. Ranitha has been known to have provided free legal assistance to prisoners detained without charge. She received the prestigious International Women of Courage Award in 2021 coinciding with the International Women's Day during a virtual event conducted by the United States Secretary of State.
Muskan Khatun is a Nepalese human rights activist. She was a survivor of an acid attack at the age of 15 after she refused the boy’s romantic advances. She was campaigned for legislation and was instrumental in getting laws passed for tough action against perpetrators in Nepal. She won an International Women of Courage Award in 2021.
Zahra Mohamed Ahmad is a Somalian human rights activist and lawyer. She is the founder of the Somali Women Development Center. She was awarded the International Women of Courage Award in 2021.
Alicia Vacas Moro is a Spanish-born nurse and a leader of the Comboni Missionary Sisters in the Middle East and Asia. She served as a nurse in Egypt and in Bethany in the West Bank. During the pandemic she returned to help in Italy. She was awarded the International Women of Courage Award in 2021 on the recommendation of the Holy See for her work.
Maximilienne Chantal Ngo Mbe is a Cameroonian human-rights campaigner. She leads the Réseau des Défenseurs des Droits Humains en Afrique Centrale (REDHAC). She was given the International Women of Courage Award in 2021.
