Rajeshwari Kashyap, a trainee journalist at London Daily, pays tribute to the late war correspondent Marie Colvin, recalling her fearless commitment to uncovering the truth….writes Emma Ha
“The world is still unsafe for women who speak. And yet, we speak. The world still punishes women who dare to challenge power. And yet, we dare. Marie Colvin did not die for her story to end—she died so that we could write the next chapter. And tonight, I promise you this—her legacy lives on in every woman who fights, in every girl who dreams, and in every voice that refuses to be silenced.”
At the International Women’s Day 2025 event organised by London Daily at King’s College London, Rajeshwari Kashyap, a trainee journalist and reporter at London Daily paid her tribute to the late war correspondent Marie Colvin, recalling her fearless commitment to uncovering the truth.
Quoting Colvin’s own words, she said, “Our mission is to speak the truth to power. We send home that first rough draft of history.” The tribute set the tone for an evening of powerful discussions on the urgent need for action in advancing women’s rights.
Rajeshwari said: “Tonight, I stand before you to honor a woman whose courage was both her weapon and her sacrifice—Marie Colvin. She was not just a journalist; she was a force of nature. A woman who stepped into the darkest corners of war zones, not for glory, not for headlines, but to give a voice to those who had been silenced. She believed that stories of suffering must be told, that truth must never be buried under the rubble of war.
“Marie Colvin once said, “The role of journalism is to give people the truth they would otherwise not have.” And for that truth, she paid the ultimate price. She stood with the oppressed, walked through gunfire, and confronted power with the sheer force of her words. Her voice was so strong, so unyielding, that it had to be silenced. But even in death, she speaks—through every woman who refuses to look away, through every girl who dares to raise her voice against injustice.
“Today, as we sit here, in safer spaces, with the privilege of choice and freedom, let us ask ourselves—how do we honour her legacy? Do we turn away from the suffering of women whose cries are muffled by oppression? Or do we become the echo of Marie Colvin, fearless in pursuit of truth, relentless in the fight for justice?
“The world is still unsafe for women who speak. And yet, we speak. The world still punishes women who dare to challenge power. And yet, we dare. Marie Colvin did not die for her story to end—she died so that we could write the next chapter. And tonight, I promise you this—her legacy lives on in every woman who fights, in every girl who dreams, and in every voice that refuses to be silenced.”
