Nobel Women's Initiative

10/14/2026

Oleksandra Matviichuk, Nobel Peace Prize laureate as head of the Center for Civil Liberties, reminds us that freedom, human rights and democracy can never be taken for granted. They live in the choices we make every day — in the courage to defend them, stand up for others and continue working toward a more just and peaceful world.

As we mark Oleksandra's birthday this month, we also celebrate her unwavering commitment to defending these values. ✨

10/13/2026

“There’s a crucial phrase in the Garifuna culture: aura buni amoru nuni, which means ‘you for me, I for you.’”

These words, shared by Miriam Miranda, General Coordinator of OFRANEH (Black Fraternal Organization of Honduras), remind us that defending ancestral lands is also about protecting collective life, identity, dignity, and solidarity.

In Honduras, Garifuna communities continue to resist displacement, land grabbing, and the criminalization of those defending their territories.

In a thoughtful conversation with Susana F. Molina, founder and Editor-at-Large of The Urban Activist, Miriam explores what it means to protect a community’s history, identity, and future — reflections that resonate far beyond borders.

She shares her perspective on what is at stake for Garifuna communities, the deep connection between their ancestral lands and traditions passed down through generations, and the importance of solidarity and collective rights in their struggle.

📖 Read the full article: https://theurbanactivist.com/governance/garifuna-indigenous-land-rights-honduras

Since August 10, 2026, a permanent encampment, largely run by women, has occupied a park across from the Supreme Court in Tegucigalpa, the capital of Honduras. Those maintaining the encampment share a common goal: to defend the land rights of the Garifuna, an Afro-Indigenous people with deep ancestral ties to Honduras’s Caribbean coast, where their communities took root in the late 18th century.

Although their struggle remains largely unknown beyond Honduras, what is at stake extends far beyond the country’s borders. The defense of indigenous land rights challenges a development model driven by large-scale tourism projects and real-estate speculation—a model that is reshaping everything from urban neighborhoods to coveted holiday destinations, often making it increasingly difficult for local communities to remain in the places they call home.

Garifuna women have emerged as some of the most visible leaders of the struggle to defend their people’s ancestral lands and collective rights. “The difference now is that there is, and I say ‘now’ because before there wasn’t, an intention to displace us,” says activist Miriam Miranda, a prominent voice in this movement and the general coordinator of the organization OFRANEH-Garifuna/Organización Fraternal Negra Hondureña.

Read more here (no paywall)-> https://theurbanactivist.com/governance/garifuna-indigenous-land-rights-honduras/

This article was produced independently with support from the non-profit organization Nobel Women's Initiative.

10/10/2026

Along with 15 other heads of INGOs, we have joined the NGO Working Group on Women, Peace and Security call for the to hold the line on the WPS agenda: by centering gender justice and women's rights in all aspects of peace and security.

At a time when women's rights and participation in peace processes face growing challenges, commitments must translate into concrete action to protect women's rights and ensure their meaningful participation in shaping peace and security.

Read the full 2026 civil society letter: https://www.womenpeacesecurity.org/resource/2026-letter-unsc-wps/

Today, we are proud to publish our 2026 Civil Society Letter on Women, Peace and Security on behalf of 16 heads of international organizations.

Read our collective call for the Security Council to ensure that women’s rights remain front and center in all discussions on peace and security: https://wps.ngo/2026letter

10/09/2026

Congratulations to Navi Pillay, 2026 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate! 🌿

We celebrate this recognition of her lifelong commitment to human rights, international law, and justice for survivors of atrocities.

A pioneering South African human rights lawyer and former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay has dedicated her career to advancing international law and accountability for grave human rights violations. Her groundbreaking work at the Rwanda Tribunal helped establish r**e and sexual violence as acts of genocide and crimes against humanity, marking a historic milestone for international gender justice.

As Nobel Peace Prize laureate Leymah Gbowee shared: “We welcome you our Sister Laureate, 107 Laureate, 21st Female and 4th African woman.”

Read our full statement, including reflections from Nobel Peace Prize laureates and NWI leadership:

Nobel Women’s Initiative celebrates Navi Pillay, 2026 Nobel Peace Prize laureate and lifelong champion of accountability for war crimes, genocide, and gender-based violence.

10/09/2026

Nobel Peace Prize laureate Jody Williams reminds us that lasting change is never the work of one person — it is built collectively, through courage, solidarity, and people coming together to take action.

Throughout her life and work, Jody has shown the power of collective action to challenge injustice and build a more peaceful world.

Today, we celebrate and honor her lifelong commitment to peace and human rights.

Happy birthday to our dear Jody! 💜✨

10/06/2026

The 2026 Sister-to-Sister Young Feminist Leadership Program may have come to an end, but what was built through this experience will continue.

25 young feminist leaders from 23 countries came together to explore Peace in the Age of AI: Building Feminist Futures — bringing their experiences, perspectives, questions, and incredible energy into every conversation. Along the way, they learned from and with one another, Nobel Peace Prize laureates, mentors, and inspiring guest speakers who generously shared their knowledge and experiences.

Over these six weeks, the Sisters built something together: a global sisterhood rooted in connection, solidarity, and shared learning — a community that reaches across borders and will continue far beyond the program. ✨

As we celebrate the Sisters who completed this journey, we also celebrate the work they are already leading in their communities and the many ways they continue to create change, challenge existing systems, and build feminist futures around the world.

As Nobel Peace Prize laureate Jody Williams said: “Sisters, you are the future.” 💜

10/05/2026

Meet more wonderful Sisters from the 2026 Sister-to-Sister Young Feminist Leadership Program! ✨

Over the past weeks, 25 young feminist leaders from 23 countries came together to learn, unlearn, exchange ideas, and explore what feminist leadership can look like in the age of AI.

As this year’s program has now concluded, we want to celebrate all of our Sisters and thank them for bringing their experiences, perspectives, incredible energy, and commitment to this space and to one another — helping build a global sisterhood that extends beyond the program. 💜

Meet the Sisters and hear from them in their own words.

10/05/2026

A new report by the Free Narges Coalition documents more than three years of online harassment targeting Nobel Peace Prize laureate Narges Mohammadi.

The report sheds light on how online harassment can be used to discredit and silence women human rights defenders and underscores the importance of addressing digital threats as part of protecting those who speak out for human rights.

Read the report:

📍IRAN

Woman human rights defender and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Narges Mohammadi has faced escalating online harassment, including defamation, gender-based abuse and explicit death threats.

A new report by the Free Narges Coalition’s Steering Committee draws on more than three years of monitoring to expose an apparent systematic smear campaign aimed at discrediting and silencing her.

Front Line Defenders stands in solidarity with WHRD Narges Mohammadi, and calls for an end to the online harassment, gender-based abuse and threats against HRDs.

🔗 Read the full report here: https://zurl.co/7YNwL

10/05/2026

On October 9, Nobel Peace Prize laureate Jody Williams will deliver the keynote address at the 16th Desmond Tutu International Peace Lecture in Cape Town, held under this year’s theme, United for Humanity. 🙌

Jody’s decades of activism are a powerful reminder of what can happen when people organize around a shared purpose and turn outrage into action. In the spirit of Archbishop Desmond Tutu’s legacy, the lecture invites us to reflect on a question that feels especially important today: What does humanity ask of us now?

If you’re in Cape Town, we invite you to join this important conversation and hear from Jody on what it means to work for our shared humanity in this moment.

📅 October 9, 2026
📍 Baxter Theatre, Cape Town

Learn more: https://tutu.org.za/news/16th-annual-desmond-tutu-international-peace-lecture

The Desmond & Leah Tutu Legacy Foundation

10/02/2026

Nobel Peace Laureate Maria Ressa reminds us that in a world increasingly shaped by technology, we cannot let it take control of our attention, our time, and our choices.

Her words are a powerful call to reclaim our agency and remain in control of how technology shapes our lives.

Today, we celebrate Maria and her unwavering commitment to truth, freedom, and democracy.

Happy birthday dear Maria! ✨