Minky Worden


Minky Worden is an American human rights advocate and author. She serves as Director of Global Initiatives at Human Rights Watch. She has been an adjunct associate professor at Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs since 2013.

Early life and education

A native of Tennessee, Worden is a graduate of Vanderbilt University, where she majored in political science, German and history. She speaks Cantonese and German.

Career

Worden joined Human Rights Watch in 1998. As its Director of Global Initiatives, she develops and implements international outreach and advocacy campaigns. She previously served as Human Rights Watch's Media Director, working with the world's journalists to help them cover crises, wars, human rights abuses and political developments in some 90 countries worldwide. Worden speaks and writes on the topics of political prisoners, women's rights, and human rights and sports.
She previously lived and worked in Hong Kong as an adviser to Democratic Party of Hong Kong chairman Martin Lee and worked at the U.S. Department of Justice in Washington, D.C., as a speechwriter for U.S. Attorney General Dick Thornburgh and in the Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys.
Worden is editor of China's Great Leap: The Beijing Games and Olympian Human Rights Challenges and The Unfinished Revolution: Voices from the Global Fight for Women's Rights. She was co-editor with Kenneth Roth and Amy Bernstein of Torture: Does It Make Us Safer? Is It Ever OK?: A Human Rights Perspective.

Books

  • The Unfinished Revolution: Voices from the Global Fight for Women's Rights
  • China's Great Leap: The Beijing Games and Olympian Human Rights Challenges
  • ''Torture''

    Writings

Worden has written dozens of articles for news outlets, including:
  • "Saudi Sports Reforms Give Girls in the Kingdom a Running Start." The New York Times. September 7, 2017.
  • "She Conquered Everest: Now She's Tackling Laws That Keep Women Out of Sport." CNN. May 11, 2017.
  • "Beach Volleyball and Women's Rights in Iran?" CNN. February 4, 2016.
  • "Human Rights and the 2022 Olympics". The New York Times. January 19, 2015.
  • "Raising the Bar: Mega-Sporting Events and Human Rights". Human Rights Watch World Report 2015.
  • "Minky Worden: Russia's Anti-Gay Laws Threaten the Olympics' Character". The Washington Post. November 22, 2013.
  • "The Olympics' Leadership Mess". The New York Times. August 8, 2013.
  • "In Saudi Arabia, Women Are Confined by Technology". The Washington Post. December 24, 2012.
  • "The View From the Empire State Building". MSNBC. October 20, 2003.
  • "Hong Kong's Brave Struggle for Democracy." The Asian Wall Street Journal. July 2, 1998.

    Boards of directors

  • The Overseas Press Club, elected Associate Board of Governors Member
  • Asia Catalyst, Board Member
  • The International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran, Board Chair
  • Platon's The People's Portfolio, Board Chair
  • The Human Trafficking Legal Center, Board

    Memberships and affiliations

  • Council on Foreign Relations, Member
  • Council on Foreign Relations, Term Member Advisory Committee
  • Seven Stories Press, Advisory Board Member

    Personal life

Worden is married to L. Gordon Crovitz, a media executive and advisor to media and technology companies who is a former publisher of The Wall Street Journal. They have three sons.