Malalai Joya Receives 2006 Gwangju Human Rights Award

"The aims of the Gwangju prize for peace is to enhance the spirit of the May 18 Democratic Uprising in Korea"

This is the 3rd award Malalai Joya has won. She has also received the Malalai of Maiwand 2001 (Afghanistan) and Women of the Year 2004 (Italy) awards.

Seoul, April 28, 2006 -- Two women activists shall receive this year's Gwangju Prize for Human Rights. They are Malalai Joya from Afghanistan and Angkhana Neelaphaijit from Thailand.

Malalai Joya is a 28-year old Afghan activist and parliamentarian. She was elected to the 249-seat National Assembly, or Wolesi Jirga in September 2005, as a representative of Farah Province. Malalai won the second highest number of votes in the province.

Malalai Joya rose to fame in December 2003 when, as an elected delegate to the Constitutional Loya Jirga, she spoke out publicly against the domination of warlords. Since then she has survived four assassination attempts, and travels in Afghanistan under a burqa and with armed guards.

She is the daughter of a former medical student who was wounded while fighting against the Soviet Union (which invaded and occupied Afghanistan from 1979 - 1989). Malalai was 4 years old when her family fled Afghanistan in 1982 to the refugee camps of Iran and then Pakistan. She finished her education in Pakistan and began teaching literacy courses to other women at age 19. After the Soviets left, Malalai Joya returned to Afghanistan in 1998 during the Taliban's reign. During that time she established an orphanage and health clinic, and was soon a vocal opponent of the Taliban.

Malalai Joya heads the non-governmental group, "Organisation of Promoting Afghan Women's Capabilities" (OPAWC). She is married to a Kabul-based student of agriculture and has six sisters and three brothers.

The Gwangju Prize for Human Rights is an award given to individuals, groups or institutions in Korea and abroad that have contributed in promoting and advancing human rights, democracy and peace in their work. The award is given by the Gwangju people in the spirit of solidarity and gratitude from those whom they have received help in their struggle for democratization and search for truth. Previous winners have included: Xanana Gusmao (2000); Basil Fernando (2001); Korean Association of bereaved families for democracy (2002); Dandeniya Gamage Jayanthi or Monument for the disappeared Sri Lanka (2003); Aung San Suu Kyi (2004); and Ms. Wardah Hafidz (2005).

This year's search received nominees from ten countries. It's the first time for two winners to share the award. Five of the eight awardees of the Gwangju Prize for Human Rights Award since 2000 were women.