The short listed nominees for the 2010 Front Line Award come from Western Sahara, India, Zimbabwe, Afghanistan and Mexico .

India Ajeet Singh is the President of Guria, a human rights organisation fighting against the sexual exploitation of women and girls, particularly those forced into prostitution and trafficking. He is under constant threat from pimps, traffickers and elements within the police.

Western Sahara Aminatou Haidar is a Sahrawi woman human rights defender and a member of the Collective of Sahrawi Human Rights Defenders (CODESA). She is also a political activist. She suffers ongoing harassments at the hands of the Moroccan authorities and has been arrested, imprisoned and threatened as a consequence of her work.

Mexico Lucha Castro is a human rights lawyer from the Centro de Derechos Humanos de las Mujeres, Chihuahua City. She campaigns on a range of women’s rights issues and represents families of murdered women in the State of Chihuahua. She is regularly harassed and threatened by organised criminals, the military and conservative individuals and organisations.

Afghanistan Dr Soraya Rahim Sobhrang, Afghanistan Commissioner for Women's Rights at the Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission is responsible for monitoring, protection and promotion of women's rights throughout Afghanistan. She lives under threat from the Taliban and other from conservative elements in Afghan society. Her public profile has made her a target for all those opposed to the progression of women’s rights in the country.

Zimbabwe Pelagia Mary Semakwali Razemba is a senior figure in the Zimbabwe Human Rights Association. She works to promote human rights awareness and respect, focusing on marginalised groups like women, children and HIV/AIDS. She is also heavily involved in the drafting of a new constitution for the country. She has been targeted for attack by Zanu PF officials and recently escaped an abduction attempt. She has suffered arrest, detention, eviction and harassment as a consequence of her work.