On 20 September 2019, Yemeni peace and human rights activist Rasha Jarhum received the „Rebels Against War“ Anita Augspurg Prize from the International Women’s League for Peace and Freedom (IFFF).
Rasha Jarhum, who lives in exile, founded the organisation „Peace Track“ in 2015, which campaigns for peace in the Middle East and North Africa and aims to give women, young people and civil society a voice in the raging war in Yemen. [1 ] In November 2018, she accepted an invitation from the UN Security Council and drew attention to discrimination against women in general and gender-based violence in particular, which had risen sharply with the start of the war. On behalf of Peace Track and the Women’s Solidarity Network, an association of 250 Yemeni women and women’s organisations, she also addressed the UN Security Council with demands for peacekeeping. One of these demands was for women to be involved in the peace process [2 ].
Against the background of her courageous and tireless commitment to peace and freedom, Rasha Jarhum received the „Rebels Against War“ Anita Augspurg Prize from the International Women’s League for Peace and Freedom (IFFF) in Verden an der Aller – the birthplace of Anita Augspurg. [3 ] Rasha Jarhum is the third person to be honoured with the donation-funded prize after Gulnara Shahinian and Zaina Erhaim. [4 ]
In her acceptance speech, Rasha Jarhum gave an impressive account of her personal experiences of war and ended with the following words, to which nothing more should be added:
„Yes, there is a lot of suffering in Yemen. Yes, we have the worst humanitarian crisis in the world, but please don’t look at Yemeni women as passive victims of war. See them as strong resilient brave women who are enduring the unimaginable to protect their families and their communities. I learn every day from the strength and resilience of these women, and it is what keeps me going and what keeps the hope in my heart that Yemen will soon find peace. This award (…) is not only a recognition of my efforts, but a recognition of the efforts of all Yemeni women. Together we will continue our work until the people of our country live in dignity.“ [5]
