Jenni Williams facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jenni Williams
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Williams in 2009
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| Born | 1962 (age 62–63) Gwanda, Zimbabwe
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| Nationality | Zimbabwean |
| Occupation | Human rights activist |
| Organization | Women of Zimbabwe Arise |
| Awards | International Women of Courage Award (2007) Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Award (2009) Ginetta Sagan Fund prize (2012) |
Jenni Williams, born in 1962, is a brave activist from Zimbabwe. She helped start a group called Women of Zimbabwe Arise (WOZA). She often spoke out against the government of President Robert Mugabe. In 2009, a newspaper called The Guardian said she was "one of the most troublesome thorns in Mugabe's side." This meant she was a big challenge to his rule.
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Early Life and Family
Jenni Williams was born in Gwanda, Zimbabwe. Her mother, Margaret Mary, raised her. Margaret's father was an Irish man who moved to Zimbabwe (then called Rhodesia). He was a gold miner and married a woman from the Matabele tribe.
When Jenni was 16, she left high school. She started working so her mother could afford to send her brothers and sisters to school. In 1994, her oldest brother passed away from AIDS.
Fighting for Rights
From 1994 to 2002, Jenni Williams ran a company that helped farmers. Her company worked with the Commercial Farmers' Union of Zimbabwe. This work soon caused problems with President Mugabe's government. Mugabe wanted to take over farms owned by white people. This was part of a plan called land reform.
After Mugabe encouraged people to take over these farms by force, Jenni Williams started to protest. She said that people's rights were being violated. She also said that the best farms were given to Mugabe's friends. Because of her protests, the police bothered her. She had to close her company.
Starting WOZA
In 2002, Jenni Williams helped create WOZA. This group was started by ordinary people. They felt that men in Zimbabwe were not doing enough to challenge the government. WOZA focused on peaceful public protests against Mugabe. Over the next few years, the group grew to have 70,000 members.
Jenni and other WOZA leaders made a rule. They said that leaders must join the protests with everyone else. This was important because protests could be dangerous. They believed in leading by example.
Facing Arrests
By 2008, Jenni Williams had been arrested 33 times by the government. This was because of her work with WOZA. After one arrest in 2003, Amnesty International called her a "prisoner of conscience." This means she was jailed for her beliefs.
Human Rights Watch also spoke out. They said the government should free Jenni and her co-leader, Magodonga Mahlangu. They wanted civil society groups to be allowed to protest peacefully. After another arrest in 2008, the U.S. ambassador, James D. McGee, asked for her release. He called her "a prominent person whose voice should be heard." She was let out on bail the next day. In 2012, she was arrested for the 40th time. This happened during WOZA's yearly Valentine's Day march. The march celebrated the group's tenth anniversary.
Awards and Recognition
In 2007, Jenni Williams received the International Women of Courage Award from the U.S. government. This award honored her courage and leadership. It recognized her work for change using peaceful methods. The award was given to her by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.
Two years later, in 2009, Jenni Williams and WOZA co-leader Magodonga Mahlangu received another award. It was the Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Award. US President Barack Obama presented this award. At the ceremony, Obama said they showed the women of WOZA and Zimbabwe that they could use their own power to challenge their oppressors. He said they could weaken a dictator's strength with their own.
On International Women's Day in 2012, Jenni Williams won the Ginetta Sagan Fund prize from Amnesty International. This prize honors women who protect the freedom and lives of women and children. It is given in places where human rights are often violated. She received the award for inspiring women to demand their human and civil rights in Zimbabwe.
Personal Life
Jenni Williams is married to an electrician. They have three adult children. In the mid-2000s, her two sons followed their sister to the United Kingdom. This happened after threats were made to send the sons to a youth militia. After losing his job several times, her husband also left Zimbabwe to join their children.
Jenni Williams has chosen to stay in Zimbabwe. She continues to fight for fairness and justice. This is despite the government making it harder for activists. In her free time, Jenni is researching her family history. She is looking into her Irish and Matabele roots.
See also
In Spanish: Jenni Williams para niños
