Professor Melanie Judge was awarded the 2024 Franco-German Prize for Human Rights and the Rule of Law at a special ceremony at the French Residence in Pretoria on International Human Rights Day (10 December). The prize was awarded by French Ambassador David Martinon and German Ambassador Andreas Peschke, and is a tribute to individuals around the world who show outstanding commitment to promoting human rights and the rule of law.
Professor Judge holds a PhD in Women’s and Gender Studies and is adjunct associate professor in public law at the University of Cape Town. She is author of Blackwashing Homophobia: Violence and the Politics of Gender, Sexuality and Race (Routledge, 2018) and lead editor of To Have and To Hold: The Making of Same-sex Marriage in South Africa (Fanele, 2008).
Professor Judge, a proud feminist and LGBT+ activist, has tirelessly worked to promote LGBT+ rights in South Africa and across the African continent. Her efforts were instrumental in the adoption of South Africa’s Civil Union Act in 2006, making the country the first in Africa to legalise same-sex marriage. She has contributed immensely to the understanding of queer identity and intersectionality through her academic work, publications, and courses. In her speech, she reflected on of the power of LGBT+ rights to strengthen democracy, quoting anti-apartheid activist Steve Biko:
In time we shall be in a position to bestow upon South Africa the greatest gift possible – a more human face.
Since 2016, France and Germany have used International Human Rights Day as an opportunity to jointly pay tribute to individuals around the world who have shown outstanding commitment to promoting human rights. Ambassador Martinon said:
Melanie, your efforts extend beyond South Africa’s borders, inspiring movements across the African continent and the globe. In a world where rights are constantly contested, your work reminds us that change is possible when we stand firm in our principles.
- Read an edited version of Professor Judge’s address upon receiving the award on News24 here.
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