On Wednesday March 14, 2018, Marielle Franco, Brazilian politician and board member in Rio, was shot down by two unknown men at the age of 38, after an activist meeting.

On february 11 Asma Jahangir, Pakistan’s leading social activist and advocate of human rights, passed away after a heart attack. She was 66 years old.

On June 30, 2017, the former French politician, Simone Veil, died at the age of 89. Veil is considered an icon in France in the struggle for women’s rights.

The American Law Professor Herma Hill Kay (1934 – 2017) was a pioneer in groundbreaking legislation and academic publications concerning the legal position of women.

Ameera BinKaram was considered a role model for the empowerment of women in Sharjah, one of the United Arab Emirates. With her death, Sharjah has lost a fervent advocate for the emancipation of women.

On 12 August, the young Turkish transgender activist Hande Kader was found murdered in Zekeriyaköy, a suburb of Istanbul. The ferocity of her death caused a storm of protest and a call for more effective prevention and tackling of violence against LGBTI people.

The Pakistani social media personality Qandeel Baloch (real name Fauzia Azeem) fought for women’s rights and the right to self-expression.

Activist Berta Cáceres courageously dedicated her life to the struggle for human rights and the environment.