By Blessing Chinagorom
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Administrator, Power Samantha has revealed that more than 400 human rights defenders were murdered in 2022, making it the highest number ever recorded in a single year.
Power who disclosed this in her remarks at the International Wormen of Courage Award Ceremony in Washington DC on Monday, said that human rights activists and defenders facing unanimous threats.
“From threats to their families to legal retribution to imprisonment and outright violence at the hands of those who would prefer to see them silenced, those threats are grave, and sadly they are growing, the USAID Administrator said.
Citing an example, she stated that these silencers refuse to back down because of a shared conviction which was captured by Fatima Corazon, one of the women who is about to be recognized. As she puts it, courage, even in the face of danger and fear is the driving force to achieve positive change.
“The women we are honoring live this conviction every minute of every day. They have been unjustly imprisoned, they have been driven from their homes or trapped inside their homes, they have seen their families and their colleagues attacked, or they have received death threats and been assaulted themselves.
“But they do not relent. They go on fighting, they fight for the rights of political prisoners, they organize movements to bring services to marginalized communities, they publish articles, they host rallies, and they call out injustice wherever they can.
“Even in the most dangerous places against all odds, they are continuing their work demonstrating incredible, inspiring courage and putting their lives on the line to defend human rights”, she said.
Power paid tribute to the awardees from Benafsha Yaqoobi who dedicated her life to defending the rights of women and girls in Afghanistan.
“A former attorney and member of the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission, she has helped women escape violence and visually impaired children attend school. Today, she continues to fight for future of Afghanistan, one that respects human rights and human dignity”.
To the born in Isla Luis Vargas Torres, one of the most violent enclaves within Esmeraldas, Ecuador, Fátima Corozo has put her life on the line to draw hundreds of young people away from rising gang violence and help them get education and job opportunities they need to build the futures they want for themselves.
Also, Martha Beatriz Roque Cabello was the only woman amongst 75 people imprisoned during the black spring, Cuba’s crackdown on dissidents two decades ago, Martha was jailed for her activism. After her release, she continued to fight for the rights of political prisoners documenting fraudulent court hearings and supporting activists and their families.
“Unfortunately, as the Secretary relayed, the Cuban government is preventing Ms. Roque Cabello from leaving the country. So she is not here to accept the award, but let us give her a heartfelt round of applause”.
She hailed Fariba Balouch who as a result of her outspoken activism for the rights of women and systematically oppressed ethnic minorities in Iran’s poorest province of Sistan and Baluchestan, Iranian authorities have threatened her life.
“And after she escaped to London, they detained her son and brother in a further attempt to intimidate her. Yet, Ms. Balouch believes the only way forward is resistance, she continues to advocate for marginalized communities in Iran refusing to be silenced”, Power congratulated them.