Nigerian Human Rights Activist, Josephine Odumakin Receives The 2013 United State Secretary of State’s International Woman of Courage Award

Dr. Josephine Obiajulu Odumakin is definitely doing so well for herself thus making us as a Nation very proud of her.

Dr. Josephine  was among the recipients of the 2013 Woman of Courage Award in the United States. The Award was presented to her by U.S Secretary of State, John Kerry and First Lady Michelle Obama.

Over the past twenty years, Dr. Josephine Odumakin has handled over 2,000 cases of violations of women’s rights, including cases of extra judicial practices committed by government security agencies against women. These cases have included violations of women’s rights including extra judicial killings of women by the police or their spouses, assault of women by law enforcement personnel for any pretext as well as deaths of children and women through negligence on the part of school or hospital authorities. 

 Dr. Odumakin leads almost every protest, march, lecture or workshop aimed at encouraging the rule of law and governing justly and democratically. Her advocacy led her to be arrested and detained seventeen times during the dictatorship of General Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida’s regime.

 Dr. Odumakin is currently the Executive Director of the Institute of Human Rights and Democratic Studies; President of Women Arise for Change Initiative; Chairman, Task Force of the Citizen Forum; Spokesperson, Coalition of Civil Society Organizations; and President, Centre for Participatory Democracy.