As a recipient of the symbolic keys to San Salvador, Amina Bouayach is today one of the leading voices for human rights in Africa and a prominent figure among the continent’s women leaders.
The mayor of San Salvador presented the symbolic key to the capital to Bouayach, President of the National Human Rights Council (CNDH) and Chair of the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions
(GANHRI).
The ceremony took place during the World Summit on Human Rights, being held in the Salvadoran capital from September 2 to 4.
Bouayach stated that this distinction represents recognition of the mission accomplished by national institutions and human rights defenders around the world.
She also emphasised that the defense of human dignity remains a collective duty that requires constancy and determination. In addition to handing over the symbolic key to the city, the summit organisers paid tribute to Bouayach’s career, a Moroccan woman who has achieved national and international leadership in the field of rights and freedoms.
They also highlighted her role in promoting protection against abuse and her contribution to regional and global initiatives.
The event commemorated Morocco’s democratic transformation, its structural reforms, and the progress made over the past two decades.
“This award is for women, for Moroccan and African women, for all those who defend human dignity,” Bouayach said in her speech.
At the summit’s opening, she, along with other international participants, called for a roadmap based on six priorities: defending dignity and preventing torture in places of detention; protecting migrants’ rights; climate and social justice; rights in artificial intelligence and the digital space; inclusion; and political participation. In March, GANHRI unanimously elected Bouayach as its president, confirming her role as a central figure on the international human rights scene.
A few months later, in August, the African feminist media platform “Pour Elle” included her in its 2025 list of “50 Inspiring African Women,” recognising her lifelong work to advance human rights and dignity at the national, regional, and international levels.
Today, she is one of Africa’s strongest voices in this field and an active member of the continent’s network of women leaders.
MK/Sf/fss/as/APA