Rafto Prize 2016 is awarded to the Iraqi women’s rights activist Yanar Mohammed. The situation in her country is drastically worsened by the emergence of IS.
As head of the Organization for Women’s Freedom in Iraq (OWFI) Mohammed has also spearheaded minority groups in the war-torn homeland.
– Human rights do not distinguish between men and women, but in a situation where women systematically subjected to abuse because of their gender, we will highlight Mohammed’s work to protect women against violence, provide information on women’s rights and promoting women’s legal protection, says Martin Paulsen, head of the award committee of the Rafto Foundation to news agency NTB.
Foundation points out that sexual violence is often part of a war strategy in many of today’s conflicts around the world:
– Iraq is just one of many examples where women’s rights are being sacrificed for political and military objectives.
The already alarming situation in the country has deteriorated following the emergence of extremist group IS. According to the UN, at least 18,802 civilians killed.
36,245 wounded and 2 million displaced during the period January 1st, 2014 to October 31st, 2015.
The Rafto Prize is awarded on Sunday November 20th in Grieghallen in Bergen.
Source: NTB scanpix / Norway Today
