Protecting Women Writers
Each year, PEN International marks International Women’s Day (8 March) by championing women and gender-diverse writers facing persecution, upholding our Women’s Manifesto, and challenging censorship, imprisonment, and violence against women in literature.
Our campaigns often focus on taking action for specific writers, including Gulgeş Deryaspî, Meral Şimşek, and Amanda Echanis.
Our campaigns protecting women writers
International Women’s Day 2026: Take Action for Valeryja Kaściuhova (Belarus)
This year, we are taking action for writer, editor and political scientist Valeryja Kaściuhova , who is serving a 10-year prison sentence in Homel, Belarus. Arrested in June 2021, she was convicted in March 2023 on politically motivated charges commonly used to silence independent voices and is reportedly in need of medical care.