Francia Márquez

Awards & Honours

Awards Won

Honours

Records

Francia Márquez's achievements represent a historic shift in Latin American representation. She is the first Afro-Colombian woman to serve as Vice President, a milestone that redefined the face of power in Colombia. Her 2018 Goldman Environmental Prize win placed her among the world's top environmental defenders, a rare honor for a young activist from a marginalized community. Receiving the W.E.B. Du Bois Medal at Harvard further cemented her status as a global voice for racial justice. These honors collectively highlight her unique ability to bridge grassroots activism with high-level political influence.

AwardsFrancia Márquez has received numerous prestigious awards recognizing her environmental and human rights work. Most notably, she won the Goldman Environmental Prize in 2018 for her efforts to stop illegal gold mining in La Toma. She was also named one of the BBC's 100 Women in 2019. In 2024, she received the W.E.B. Du Bois Medal from Harvard University. While she has been nominated for Time Person of the Year, her primary accolades are in the fields of environmentalism and civil rights.

Honours & Distinctions

Goldman Environmental Prize

Goldman Environmental Foundation·2018

Recognized for halting illegal gold mining in La Toma

BBC 100 Women List

BBC·2019

Named one of the most influential women globally

W.E.B. Du Bois Medal

Harvard University·2024

First awarded to a person of African descent from Colombia

Records & Feats

First Afro-Colombian Vice President

Historic First·2022

First Black woman to hold the office of Vice President of Colombia

Second Woman Vice President

Historic First·2022

Only the second woman to serve as Vice President in Colombian history