The Ladies in White(Las Damas de Blanco, in Spanish) is a Cuban civil society group that organizes peaceful marches for freedom and human rights. The group was formed by thewives, mothers, sisters, daughters, and supporters of the political prisoners arrested during the “Black Spring” government crackdown on Cuban dissidents in March 2003. Berta Soler, the group’s spokeswoman, accepted the Havel Prize on its behalf. As a founding member, Soler protested for the release of her husband and other political prisoners. Since the release and forced exile of the Black Spring prisoners in 2010, the Ladies in White have continued their work to promote individual rights and a democratic society in Cuba. In 2013,Soler and five other women from the group finally received the 2005 Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought from the European Parliament, after repeatedly being denied permission by the Cuban government to travel and accept the award.
