Condoleezza Rice to honour Jenni Williams at US Courage Awards

By Violet Gonda
7 March 2008

Many said she was on a road to nowhere with her street protests and various efforts to resist the most brutal government clamp down on free expression in our time, but Jenni Williams - with the other Women of Zimbabwe Arise (WOZA) - has soldiered on regardless. She has been imprisoned, beaten, battered and suffered head lice in detention so many times she had to shave her head.

For the last five years, however, Williams has been an inspiration for peaceful campaigners throughout the world. Now her efforts have been recognised by becoming one of 10 recipients of the first International Women of Courage Awards. This is an annual award that has been established by the US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, in honour of International Women’s Day.

The WOZA coordinator is the only African woman among this first group of women from different regions around the world to receive the award.

A press statement by the US State Department said this award honours women around the globe who have shown exceptional courage and leadership in advocating for women’s rights and advancement. This is the only Department of State award that pays tribute to emerging women leaders worldwide, and offers a unique opportunity for transformational diplomacy in the field of international women’s issues.

Jenni Williams has led the brave women of WOZA through countless street protests in Zimbabwe since 2003. The group, started with only a handful of women, has now a countrywide membership of an estimated 35 000 people. Williams founded WOZA as a women’s civic movement to empower women to stand up for their rights. Based on their principles of strategic non-violence the group, including men and babies, continue to defy the authorities through street protests in their quest for fundamental freedoms

These frontline human rights activists have endured beatings, harassment and arrests at the hands of the police and have in the last three years seen the walls of prison cells more times than any other pressure group in the country.

The courageous Zimbabwean activist will receive her award at a colourful ceremony in the US on Wednesday afternoon, together with 9 other women - from Iraq (2), Afghanistan (2), Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, Latvia, Maldives and Argentina.

Meanwhile, the WOZA activists continued to defy a police ban on all demonstrations throughout the country by launching their social justice campaign and People’s Charter in Mutare on Wednesday. Although there were no arrests this time the pressure group said 20 people were arrested in Masvingo on Tuesday. Lawyers are trying to secure their release.

27 protesters who were arrested in Gweru on Monday were released on bail after appeared in court on Wednesday. WOZA said: “The nine others that had been arrested later in the day when taking food to those in cells remain in custody and are expected to be taken to court today. Police are still trying to decide what charges to bring against them.”