Franco-German Prize goes to Filipina HR advocate

Filipino human rights (HR) defender Rosemarie Trajano was honored by two major European countries as one of the 15 recipients of the Franco-German Prize for Human Rights and the Rule of Law award in the world.

Trajano, who is secretary general of the Philippine Alliance of Human Rights Advocates (PAHRA), was jointly nominated by the German and French embassies in the Philippines for her outstanding work, which brings together about 50 organizations nationwide advocating for all human rights.

The Franco-German Prize for Human Rights and the Rule of Law award pays tribute to men and women who work towards defending human rights around the world and whose actions deserved support and recognition. It serves as a symbol of France and Germany’s shared values and commitments to protecting human rights for all.

“The complexity of our situation now has put HRDs (human rights defenders) in greater peril, not only from actual physical harm but also from psychological stress from social media trolls and fanatics of the (Duterte) administration,” Trajano said at the awarding ceremony held the other night at the Pineapple Lab in Makati City.

A nurse by profession, Trajano has more than 30 years of experience in working to engage civil society in the Philippines in defense and protection of human rights in all its forms from gender equality to health, from workers’ rights to indigenous people’s rights, among others.