Somali Human Rights Leader Hawa Aden Mohamed Receives the 2008 Roger Baldwin Award

“I have been called a witch and been accused of bringing foreign ideas, turning the girls from their religion and turning them into boys. We have been labeled traitors to Somali culture and the Islamic religion. We were pelted with stones for the first two years, had our car destroyed and part of our compound torn down by angry local residents.

Our commitment, perseverance and resilience have yielded social dividends in terms of the community goodwill we now enjoy. They used to call me a ‘WITCH’ before, now they call me ‘AUNT’.”

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From May 1 to May 13, 2008, Human Rights First hosted Somali human rights defender Hawa Aden Mohamed. Ms. Mohamed received the 2008 Roger N. Baldwin Medal of Liberty Award in recognition of her courageous work on behalf of women and girls affected by violence in Somalia.

Ms. Mohamed began her work over three decades ago by founding the Refugee Women’s Relief and Development Center. Despite having to flee the country when civil war broke out in 1991, Ms. Mohamed courageously chose to return to Somalia and continue her work on behalf of thousands of women and girls. Currently, she serves as the Executive Director of the Galkayo Education Center for Peace and Development (GECPD), a community-based organization in the Puntland area of Somalia.

Under Ms. Mohamed’s leadership, GECPD operates education programs for impoverished, displaced, and minority women and girls. GECPD works within communities to mobilize women to defend and advocate for their rights in society, focusing largely on combating gender-based violence and female genital mutilation. 

Through her diverse activities on behalf of women and vulnerable communities, Ms. Mohamed has made great strides in affecting change in a challenging environment wrought with violence and political turmoil.

During the trip, Ms. Mohamed met with international organizations, elected officials and policymakers to speak about the situation in Somalia. She officially accepted the Baldwin award at a ceremony held in a private home in Manhattan on May 13, 2008.

Baldwin Selection Notification to Hawa Aden Mohamed

Press Coverage of the 2008 Baldwin Award