Subcommittee on International Human Rights of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development

Sous-comité des droits internationaux de la personne du Comité permanent des affaires étrangères et du développement international

For immediate release

Ottawa, June 07, 2023 -

In recognition of the incredible work and tremendous sacrifices made by women human rights defenders, the Subcommittee on International Human Rights of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development of the House of Commons (the Subcommittee) will host a recognition ceremony on Friday, June 9, 2023, to honour three remarkable women who have devoted their lives to defending the fundamental rights of others.

Human rights defenders are our front line of defence against human rights violations and abuses. They not only advocate for greater human rights protections, but they also bring attention to human rights challenges and document infringements wherever they occur. The rights of these defenders themselves, however, are at risk when their work is at odds with the objectives of those in power. Women human rights defenders (WHRDs) often face the additional violations and abuses of gender-based harassment, intimidation and violence.

As the Subcommittee meets with WHRDs regularly during the course of its work, selecting only three was a challenging process. Nonetheless, the Subcommittee unanimously agreed that the following women are a testament to the extraordinary sacrifices that WHRDs make in defence of human rights:

1. Ayesha Hajeera Almas, India, anti-hijab ban advocate: As a high school student in the southern Indian state of Karnataka, in February 2022 she led a group of her fellow female high school students to challenge in court a ban on wearing the hijab in state schools.

2. Mariam Lamizana, Burkina Faso, women’s rights advocate: A former legislator, she has spent decades advocating for the rights of women in Burkina Faso, campaigning against the practice of female genital mutilation and other forms of violence against women and girls.

3. Oleksandra Matviichuk, Ukraine, human rights lawyer and democracy advocate: She is currently the Chair of the Ukraine-based non-profit organization the Center for Civil Liberties and has been member of the Advisory Board on Human Rights of the Office of the Ombudsman of Ukraine since 2012.

This will mark the third time the Subcommittee hosts a recognition ceremony for WHRDs. In February 2019, the Subcommittee agreed that it would host this event annually, when possible. This year’s ceremony will take place in a hybrid format, on Friday, June 9, 2023, from 1 p.m. to 2 p. m. both in person and via the House of Commons Zoom platform. The ceremony will be broadcast live on the ParlVu service and available for on-demand streaming.