VZCZCXYZ0000
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHYN #2080/01 3220703
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 180703Z NOV 09
FM AMEMBASSY SANAA
TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 3226

UNCLAS SANAA 002080 
 
SIPDIS 
 
S/GWI FOR IMARR AND JSOSNE 
NEA/ARP FOR AMACDONALD 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KWMN PREL KPAO PHUM YM
SUBJECT: YEMEN: NOMINATION FOR 2010 INTERNATIONAL WOMEN OF 
COURAGE AWARD 
 
REF: STATE 111471 
 
Nominee: TAWAKUL A. KARMAN 
Title: President, Women Journalists Without Chains 
Date of Birth: TBD 
Country of Birth: Yemen 
Citizenship: Yemeni 
Mobile: 967-712-020-010 
E-mail: withoutchains@gmail.com 
Languages: Arabic (fluent), English (limited proficiency) 
Notification: Not yet notified of nomination. 
Post Contact: Political Officer Faith Meyers 
 
In a country where the vast majority of women walk around 
veiled head-to-toe in black, few leave the house without a 
male escort and even fewer work outside the home, journalist 
and human rights activist Tawakul Karman stands apart from 
the crowd.  Tawakul, chairman of the local non-governmental 
organization Women Journalists Without Chains, is a prominent 
defender of freedom of the press and human rights in Yemen. 
She is foremost among her colleagues - both male and female - 
in speaking out against injustice and has inspired scores of 
other women activists to join her in protest, despite the 
risks.  Tawakul has broken other gender barriers as well; she 
is an active member in the opposition Islah party's highest 
decision-making body.  While Islah is considered a moderate 
Islamist political party, some of its hard-line members do 
not see eye-to-eye with women activists like Tawakul.  She 
has struggled to put issues of reform - including women's 
rights under Islam - at the top of the party platform. 
Receiving intimidating threats and suffering bodily harm has 
only empowered Tawakul in her pursuit of justice and freedom 
of expression. 
 
Tawakul has actively campaigned for freedom of the press for 
many years, first as a journalist and then as an activist. 
Tawakul was the first activist to launch the so-called "Phase 
of Protests and Sit-Ins" in the country.  From July 2007 
through the present day, Tawakul and other human rights 
activists and defenders of freedom of the press hold a weekly 
sit-in in Sana'a's "Freedom Square" in front of the 
headquarters of the Cabinet of Ministers.  In addition to 
being the primary organizer of these sit-ins, Tawakul also 
created the concept of Freedom Square - a small area in front 
of the Cabinet that has become the primary location for 
Yemenis to protest against injustice and express their 
grievances to the government. 
 
As a result of the sharp escalation in violations of freedom 
of expression - including attacks on journalists, closure of 
newspapers, censorship of articles deemed "illegal" by the 
government of Yemen, and the disappearance of a prominent 
journalist - Tawakul began to use her weekly demonstrations 
to protest the disappearances and imprisonment of journalists 
and human rights activists across Yemen.  Ignoring 
intimidation from the security services and threatening phone 
calls, she delivers speeches calling for the release of 
kidnapped journalists and for the re-opening of independent 
newspapers shut down by the government.  Tawakul's bravery 
has inspired scores of other women activists to join her in 
challenging the government to afford Yemenis their basic 
rights - whether at protests in Sana'a, demonstrations across 
Yemen's southern governorates or marches in the western city 
of Taiz. 
 
In her writings, Tawakul advocates for freedom of the press 
and defends human rights, including the rights of women.  She 
has received frequent threats on her own life and the lives 
of her young children resulting from her work as a woman 
activist.  Tawakul agreed to testify during Yemen's Universal 
Periodic Review of Human Rights in Geneva in 2009, which 
subjected her to further scrutiny and harassment.  Her 
courage, as a wife and mother as well as a human rights 
activist, has shown Yemen's women that they can take an 
active role in the political and social life in their country 
without giving up traditional values. 
 
She has been frequently attacked and beaten by the security 
services in the course of her activism: 
 
-  She was beaten by policemen in 2005 during a sit-in before 
a court in Sana'a in support of a human rights lawyer. 
-  She and other protesters were attacked by security 
personnel during a sit-in in July 2007 in Freedom Square. 
- In November 2008, she was bodily removed from Freedom 
Square by 30 policemen. 
- In September 2009, Tawakul and another woman activist were 
attacked by military personnel who took their banners and 
broke a camera they were using at a sit-in for press freedoms. 
In her political activism as well, Tawakul has advanced the 
participation of women and defense of basic human rights. 
She is one of a small number of women on the Shura Council 
(the top legislative body) of Islah, a moderate Islamist 
opposition party.  She is among the party's top young 
reformers, working to promote Islah's political and social 
role and productive relationship with civil society 
organizations.  Tawakul has worked hard to ensure that women 
play a strong role in the party's organization and 
activities, and has challenged the party's hard-liners to 
advance this purpose. 
 
Tawakul's selection for the 2010 International Women of 
Courage Award would send a powerful message to the people and 
government of Yemen of U.S. support for the essential values 
of freedom of the press, protection of human rights and the 
promotion of women. 
SECHE