Thanks US Embassy

Mrs. Hannah Foster, Political Commissioner at African Commission on Human and People’s rights, has commended the American Ambassador to the Gambia, His Excellency Joseph Stafford, for awarding her the precious ‘Woman a Courage’ award.

Speaking at the ceremony held at the Ambassador’s residence on Wednesday, on the eve of Press Freedom Day, Mrs. Foster said that when she was first approached few months ago to provide information about herself and with the proposal that the Ambassador would wish to organize such an event, she paid little attention to it.

“It was only when I received the invitation for this evening that it suddenly dawned on me that I need to find out what the award is all about and it really was not in jest after all,” Mrs. Foster explained, wondering aloud why she, of all other women, has been chosen for the honour.  She conceded that as a person and a professional she had never been known for bravery, nor did she take risks unnecessarily.

She presumed that as her being awarded with the honour might be linked to her work at the ACDHRS, she could not help but reflect on some of the activities of the centre as well as some of the challenges that face emerging women leaders like herself.

Mrs. Foster disclosed that as one of the first few women leading a regional organization charged with the promotion, protection and defence of human rights in Africa, there was need to break the myth that the field was not an arena for women. She said that when she commenced work at the African Centre over 16 years ago, there were not so many Gambians and among her fellow human rights colleagues.

She seized the opportunity to call on other women colleagues to keep up the hard work.