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Tostan Wins Sweden's Anna Lindh Prize for Human Rights
Award Recognizes Tostan's Work in Advancing Human Rights
In 2005, Tostan received the Anna Lindh Prize for its work in human rights. The annual award was established to honor
Anna Lindh, the Swedish foreign minister who was murdered in 2003 in Stockholm. A dedicated defender of human rights, Ms. Lindh used her position in the European Union to speak out for social welfare. The prize, one of Sweden’s top human rights awards, is given to activists and organizations around the globe that "have
the courage to fight indifference, prejudice, oppression and injustices in order to promote a good life for all people in an environment marked by respect for human rights."
In awarding the prize to Tostan, the selection committee cited Tostan’s work towards empowering women, saying, "Tostan’s revolutionary work has given Senegalese women the confidence and the tools to question and challenge destructive social conventions. While maintaining respect for local traditions and values, the organisation has empowered women to lead the struggle for an improved quality of life." Ingvar Carlsson, Committee Chairman of The Anna Lindh Memorial Fund and former Prime Minister of Sweden, noted that Tostan "is an amazing example of how others continue to work in the spirit of Anna Lindh."
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Left to Right: Ingvar Carlsson, Molly Melching,
Mamadou Sen |
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Left to Right: Molly Melching, Bo Holmberg, widower of Anna Lindh |
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