Thelma Aldana

Thelma Aldana
Born	27 September 1955 Gualán

Thelma Aldana (born 27 September 1955) is a Guatemalan judge. The President had to resign after her investigation. In 2016 she was given an International Women of Courage Award.

Life

Aldana was born in Gualán in 1955. She became a judge in the Supreme Court in 2009. She was elected president of the Supreme Court from 2011-2011. In 2013 she replaced Claudia Paz y Paz as Guatemala’s attorney general.^[1] Aldana graduated from the University of San Carlos in Guatemala. She has a Master's degree in Civil and Procedural Law.^[2]

Courts for violence against women

In 2011, when she was president of the Supreme Court, Aldana started special courts in Guatemala for femicide cases. Killing women, and violence against women became a crime in Guatemala. Eleven districts now have the special courts. Judges and police officers receive special gender crime training. Every year there are 56,000 reports of violence against women.^[3]

Against corruption

In 2015 Aldana led an investigation into government corruption.^[4] As a result, the president of Guatemala resigned.^[5]

Awards

In 2015 Aldana won the Jaime Brunet Prize for the Promotion of Human Rights from the Public University of Navarra. the prize was for her work for women's rights, against gender violence, and for the rights of the indigenous peoples, as well as against political corruption. The prize was 36,000 euros.^[6]

In 2016 she was recognised with an International Women of Courage Award by the US Secretary of State.^[7]

References