The Stockholm Human Rights Award was established in 2009 by the International Bar Association (IBA), the International Legal Assistance Consortium (ILAC) and the Swedish Bar Association. It is awarded annually to an individual or an institution for outstanding contributions to the rule of law and the promotion and protection of human rights.
Due to the coronavirus pandemic situation, the 2020 prize ceremony was postponed to the 6 December 2021.
Watch the video from the 6 December 2021 Stockholm Human Rights Award ceremony here.
Injustices and human rights abuses witnessed first-hand sparked a lifelong commitment to challenging social norms and promoting human rights and democracy in Pakistan, and around the world, in Hina Jilani.
In 1980, Ms Jilani founded Pakistan’s first all-female law firm. She also established campaign group Women’s Action Forum and set up Pakistan’s first Legal Aid Centre. Ms Jilani was one of the founding members of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan. She also co-founded Dastak, a shelter providing free legal counsel and support to women fleeing gender-based violence.
The new millennium saw her appointment as the first Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General on the Situation of Human Rights Defenders in 2000. In 2013, Ms Jilani joined The Elders, a group of independent global leaders founded by Nelson Mandela.
Hina Jilani currently serves as President of the World Organisation against Torture, Co-Chair of the World Refugee and Migration Council and Co-Chair of the Task Force on Justice.
Due to the coronavirus pandemic situation, the 2020 prize ceremony was postponed to the 6 December 2021.
Watch the video from the 6 December 2021 Stockholm Human Rights Award ceremony here.
