Rigoberta Menchú Tum (1959- )

Awarded the Prize “in recognition of her work for social justice ethno-cultural reconciliation based on respect for the rights of indigenous peoples.”

Guatemala politician. Menchú was born on January 9, 1959 in Guatemala. She grew up in poverty threw herself into social reform activities, became prominent in the women’s rights movement when still only a teenager. In 1979 she joined the Committee of the Peasant Union (CUC). In 1981, she had to flee to Mexico. In 1986, she became a member of the National Coordinating Committee of the CUC.
Major Works:
I, Rigoberta Menchu (1983); Crossing Borders (1998)