The German Government recognized the #NiUnaMenos movement with the “United for Women's Rights and Democracy” award

On Tuesday, the German Government awarded the #NiUnaMenos movement the United Prize for Women's Rights and Democracy, as part of the opening ceremony of United Week. The award was presented by the Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Federal Republic of Germany, Annalena Baerbock, to journalists and writers Ingrid Beck, Mariana Carbajal, Ana Correa and Hinde Pomeraniec.

The United Week, which takes place from 22 to 25 March in Berlin, highlights the political themes of the German Federal Foreign Ministry in international cooperation on women's rights, while allowing “exchange between members and strengthening greater interaction”, according to its organizers.

“I am going to present to the representatives of #NiUnaMenos who accompany us here today the first United Prize for Women's Rights and Democracy. They have shown that if we stick together, we can achieve much more than if we fight alone,” said Baerbock.

During the week of the event, women decision-makers, activists and politicians from Latin America, the Caribbean and Germany meet to intensify cooperation for women's rights and democracy. Foreign Minister Baerbock opened the week of events together with Chilean Foreign Minister Antonia Urrejola.

At the heart of the United Week is “the association of female actors from Latin America and Europe. In terms of content, the role of women in conflict and prevention is addressed, as well as the consequences of climate change on women's rights,” they explained in a statement from the German Embassy.

The United Award for Women's Rights and Democracy “is awarded once a year within the network to a successful project, model initiative or outstanding commitment to the promotion of women's rights and democracy. The decision criteria for the independent jury are relevance, impact, innovation, sustainability, particular challenge. Individuals, groups of people, NGOs or social enterprises can be rewarded”, they explain from the organization.

On this occasion, the prize went to the women's movement “#NiUnaMenos”, so some of its representatives were invited to the ceremony in Berlin.

At the awards ceremony, they described the #NiunaMenos movement as a “call” that emerged in 2015 and spread at breakneck speed in Latin America. “It was a cry against the violence suffered by women and the reaction to femicides, that is, the murder of young women and mothers by their partners, among others. Thousands took to the streets,” they added.

The United Women's Network is a central integral part of the Latin American and Caribbean Initiative of the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The objective of Unidas is the equal participation of women in the political, social, cultural, media, scientific and economic spheres. To this end, Unidas connects women and feminist movements in Latin America, the Caribbean and Germany and strengthens them in their struggle for gender equity and women's rights.

Within this framework, network meetings and workshops are organized at the national and supra-regional levels and concrete projects are promoted. The annual awarding of the United Prize is a particularly visible tool for recognizing an extraordinary commitment to women's rights and democracy. Thanks to its close links with the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the United States also makes a contribution to feminist foreign policy.

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