The Emma Humphreys Memorial Prize awards feminist campaigners challenging men’s violence against women and girls in honour of Emma Humphreys, who died in 1998. 

Emma was a writer, campaigner and survivor of men’s violence who fought an historic struggle to overturn a murder conviction, supported by Justice for Women and other feminist campaigners. Following her release she used her experience to help continue campaign for the rights of other women who had been subjected to men’s violence.

Emma Humphreys was just 17 years old when she was imprisoned for the murder of her 33 year-old ‘boy-friend’, rapist, abuser and pimp. Emma had been abused by men for almost all her life, she spent a decade in prison before being freed on appeal when her murder conviction was changed to manslaughter. 

The Emma Humphreys Memorial Prize is a small charity founded in 1998  run by feminists who want to recognise and reward survivors and feminist activists contributing to raising awareness of and challenging men’s violence against women. In 2019 we began to collaborate on the awards with the Centre for Women’s Justice. We continue to give an annual Emma Humphreys Memorial Prize and also a joint prize with the Centre for Women’s Justice which is awarded to a woman or group who has used the law to hold the state to account for violence against women.

We are looking for up to three new trustees to join our established group. We’d like to hear from you if you’re a woman with relevant experience, a passion for feminist activism and hold values compatible with tackling the abuses faced by Emma. For example, understanding that prostitution is a form of men’s violence against and abuse of women. We are particularly interested in hearing from women who are Black, Asian or from other minoritised backgrounds and we’d be delighted to hear from someone with the skills to be our treasurer, or with web-design or fundraising skills. But don’t let the absence of these put you off.

Our Trustees meet quarterly, with increased activity around the time of opening nominations for the prize and our annual prize-giving event.  If you’re interested, please email us at emmahprize@gmail.com, outlining your relevant skills, experiences and telling us what you’d offer as a trustee.

Closing date: 5 January 2024.