The goal of the Martin Ennals Award is to extend recognition and protective publicity to those who are currently involved in front line work for the promotion and protection of human rights. The Award aims to encourage individuals and – exceptionally – organisations who are currently working for the rights of others in conditions hostile to fundamental human rights and who are in need of protection. Special account is taken of those who have demonstrated an active record of combating human rights violations by courageous and innovative means. Nominations for the 2012 Martin Ennals Awards have now closed.

2011 Martin Ennals Awards

The Martin Ennals Award presentation ceremony took at Victoria Hall in Geneva on 13 October, 2011. The award was presented to Ms Kasha Jacqueline Nabagesera from Uganda.  She has been selected for her work defending the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender (LGBT) and other marginalised people.

You can view an 8 minute summary video of the ceremony here. You can also view a film about Ms Nabagesera and her work here.

2011 laureate Kasha Jacqueline Nabagesera

Ms Nabagesera is the founder and Executive Director of Freedom and Roam Uganda, an LGBT rights organisation. She has courageously appeared on national television in Uganda, issued press statements on behalf of the LGBT community, and spoken on several radio stations. Already in 2007, Ms Nabagesera was harassed at the World Social Forum in Nairobi and, on many occasions since, has suffered harassment, threats and even attacks because of her work. As a result, she has been shifting from house to house, afraid to stay long in the same place.

On 26 January 2011 one of her colleagues, LGBT activist David Kato was murdered. This followed the publication of a ‘gay list’ by the Ugandan tabloid Rolling Stone, calling for the hanging of the LGBT people identified. In this ‘black list’, Ms Nabagesera’s name also appears.

Chairman of the jury of the MEA, Mr Hans Thoolen describes the laureate as ‘an exceptional woman of a rare courage, fighting under death threat for human dignity and the rights of homosexuals and marginalised people in Africa’. He says, by recognising Ms Nabagesera as the laureate in 2011, the jury aims to underline its strong opposition to the discrimination of people based on gender or sexual orientation.

The laureate is selected by the jury of the Martin Ennals Foundation, of which the International Service for Human Rights is a member. The other organisations are Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, Human Rights First, International Federation for Human Rights, World Organisation Against Torture, Front Line, International Commission of Jurists, German Diakonie, and HURIDOCS.

To find out more about the 2011 laureate, the Martin Ennals Awards in general or previous laureates, visit www.martinennalsaward.org

Background to the Award

The MEA aims to encourage human rights defenders who are at risk and in need of immediate protection. The publicity given to the work of the awarded human rights defender helps to deliver this protection. In addition, prize money of 20,000 Swiss Francs is given to the recipient for furthering their work in the field of human rights.

The MEA is the result of a unique collaboration of ten of the world's leading human rights NGOs, including the International Service for Human Rights. The other organisations are Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, International Federation of Human Rights, World Organisation Against Torture, Front Line, International Commission of Jurists, Human Rights First, Diakonie Germany and HURIDOCS. These organisations form the jury for the awards. 

NB: ISHR is in no way affiliated with the 'International Service Human Rights Awards'.