Ms. Lydia Cacho Ribeiro was born in Mexico City in 1963. A journalist, author, feminist, and human rights activist, she has published hundreds of news articles, a poetry book, as well as a novel and other non-fiction work, including several essay books on human rights with the Université Laval de Quebec, the University of Texas, and the University of Guadalajara.

Lydia Cacho was described by journalist Marianne Pearl as “a woman of great strength and courage, and who is deeply committed to ethical journalism and the advancement of human rights in Mexico for the long haul”. Her writings have resulted in shining the spotlight on issues that are normally not challenged. She was taken to jail and tortured as a result of a corruption action between a governor and an entrepreneur that she investigated in one of her books. She brought the case to the Mexican Supreme Court, and as a result the Supreme Court declared the content of her book The Demons of Evil truthful. 

Because her life has been threatened many times, and these threats have been found to be credible, she has received offers of asylum in the U.S.A, France and Spain. Many times she has refused to leave her country and the people who have turned to her for help.  Ms Cacho is committed to changing Mexico so that impunity for gross human rights violations will not be a part of the norm in her country.  

Furthermore, her work with women and children in Mexico has been extremely effective both in terms of rescue and rehabilitation of the countless individuals who seek assistance from the shelter she founded in Cancun, Mexico.
The Ginetta Sagan Amnesty International Award committee wrote about her:  “It is also worth mentioning that her work has made her highly visible. Despite the many achievements and accolades that come with such recognition,  Lydia remains deeply humbled and genuine.   She is rooted in her community and no amount of recognition will ever change this.  We have seen this first hand.”

Ms. Cacho has received many awards: among these, the State Journalists Prize (Quintana Roo) for best investigative report on violence against women in Cancun, Mexico (2000); the DEMAC literary award for the novel “Las provincias del alma”; the Venezuela Courage in Journalism award (2006); the National Human Rights Prize “Don Sergio Mendez Arceo” 2006 for bravery on confronting state persecution and for writing about child pornography and child abuse in her book “Los demonios del edén”; the Human Rights Watch Award; CNN Hero of the world (2007); the Ginetta Sagan Award of Amnesty International USA (2007); the U.S. Department of State International Hero Acting to End Modern-Day Slavery; the International Women’s Media Foundation award (2007); the Oxfam Novib / PEN Freedom of Expression Award; the UNESCO/Guillermo Cano Freedom of Expression award 2008.