Description
The Annual Anne-Marie Buhoro Award, established by INOVAS, honors the memory of Anne-Marie Buhoro, a human rights activist from the Democratic Republic of Congo’s South Kivu province who dedicated her life to fighting against sexual violence and promoting gender equality. As a victim of sexual violence herself, Anne-Marie felt motivated to work for other victims and survivors like her. In 2010, she and other women founded the Initiative for Vulnerable Persons and Women in Action for Integrated Development (IPVFAD), which provides support to victims and survivors of sexual violence in eastern DRC.
As a victim herself, Anne-Marie worked tirelessly to combat the impunity she saw around her and to protect women in her region who faced multiple human rights violations, particularly the constant risk of sexual violence. She played a central role in the establishment of INOVAS and its expansion in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), as a step towards making survivors’ voices heard globally and lobbying for justice at the international level.
Sadly, Anne-Marie was brutally murdered by her husband at their home in Minova, a border-town located between the North and South Kivu Provinces on January 28, 2022. Her death poignantly illustrates the persistence of gender-based violence in the DRC. The Anne-Marie Award is established to continue her legacy and to support activists or organizations that are committed to her mission of ending sexual violence and promoting gender equality. It also serves as a way to remember Anne-Marie, who was a mother of six children and grand-mother of two children, and her dedication to the fight for human rights and justice.
Nomination Criteria
- The nominee must be a human rights activist or organization that works on human rights and gender-based violence in the Great Lakes region (DRC, Burundi, and Rwanda).
- The nominee must have a proven track record of advocating for and promoting the rights of survivors of gender-based violence in the region.
- The nominee must demonstrate a commitment to ending gender-based violence and promoting gender equality.
- The nominee must have made a significant impact on the reduction of gender-based violence and on the promotion and protection of the rights of survivors in the Great Lakes region.
- The nominee should be able to provide evidence of their work in the form of publications, testimonials, or other relevant materials.
- The nominee should not have any history of human rights violations or abuse.
- The nominee must show continued commitment to advancing human rights and gender equality in their area.
Nomination Guidelines
- All nominations must be complete and submitted by the deadline of April 15, 2023 to be considered.
- Both organizations and individuals may submit nominations.
- Individual nominees should not hold a prominent role in a political party.
- Individual nominees must currently be actively working on human rights and gender-based violence issues.
- Self-nominations are not permitted, and nominations must be made by individuals other than the nominee.
- Before the nomination is submitted, it is important that the nominee is made aware of their nomination and given sufficient time to consider their acceptance of the nomination.
- Nominations should be submitted via the Google Form provided by INOVAS.
- Once the nomination is submitted and complete, members of INOVAS will follow up with the nominee for additional information.
- The jury will meet in May 2023 to review the nominations and the winner of the award will be announced at the end of June 2023.