FIVE WOMEN LEADING THE STRUGGLE FOR HUMAN RIGHTS IN 2018
In December 2018, hundreds of thousands of ordinary people all over the world will come together to write letters, scribble postcards, draw pictures and send emails – all of them focused on one thing: making change happen. They will be taking part in one of the biggest campaigns for human rights in the world: Write for Rights. And this year they will be supporting extraordinary women who are leading the struggle for justice, often in the face of fierce opposition, discrimination and violence. In 2018, the campaign is highlighting cases where women human rights defenders are speaking out for change against all the odds. We are highlighting five cases below – go to amnesty.org/writeforrights to take action on these and other women human rights defenders featured in the campaign. Write a letter, change a life!
Nonhle Mbuthuma, South Africa “When you take my land, you take my identity.” Nonhle Mbuthuma is leading the fight for her community against a mining company which wants to mine titanium on their ancestral land. For that she faces constant threats and intimidation, and has even survived an attempt to kill her. But Nonhle is determined to resist. As she says, “This land belonged to my grandparents, who inherited it from their parents. What am I going to leave for my children? Mining is not an option.” Around 5,000 people may be forcibly evicted if the company is allowed to mine the land. “They tried to intimidate us and they failed,” Nonhle told Amnesty International recently. “I’m still standing. Nothing is going to separate us from the land.” Letter-writers are showing their support for Nonhle and telling the President of South Africa to protect her now. © Amnesty International.
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