The Prize winner, Ms Loujain Alhathloul, is one of the leaders of the Saudi feminist movement, having campaigned to end the male guardianship system, as well as the Saudi ban on women driving, and for greater protection for women facing abuse in her country. She was arrested and repeatedly detained since 2018 as a result of her stand, and was only released in February 2021, though is still subject to house arrest and other restrictions in her home country.

The Prize winner comes from a shortlist of three candidates, with the other two nominees being the nuns of Nepal’s Drukpa Order, a group of young Buddhist nuns who promote equality, sustainability and tolerance in their home villages in the Himalayas, and Congolese human rights activist Julienne Lusenge, who has been documenting sexual abuse and acts of violence against women in Congo. Both were awarded diplomas during the ceremony. All finalists were selected by a seven-member jury composed of representatives nominated by the PACE, Václav Havel Library and the Charta 77 Foundation.

The Václav Havel Human Rights Prize has been awarded since 2013 by the PACE, in partnership with the Václav Havel Library and the Charta 77 Foundation, in recognition of exceptional civil society action to defend human rights in Europe and beyond. The Prize which consists of a trophy and a diploma for significant contribution in the struggle for human rights involves a reward of € 60 000. The Czech Republic grants financial support to the Prize.

An international online conference in honour of the laureate, organized by the Václav Havel Library and Charta 77 Foundation, followed the Strasbourg award ceremony.