By 2008, Williams had been arrested 33 times by the Mugabe government for her actions with the group. Following one of her 2003 arrests, Amnesty International designated her a prisoner of conscience. Human Rights Watch also denounced the repeated arrests of Williams and Woza co-leader Magodonga Mahlangu, stating that the Zimbabwean government should release the women and "allow civil society the right to demonstrate peacefully". After another arrest in mid-2008, U.S. ambassador James D. McGee called for her release, describing Williams as "a prominent person whose voice should be heard" and the charges against her as a "sham". She was granted bail the following day. In 2012, she was arrested for the 40th time at Woza's annual Valentine's Day march, which commemorated the group's tenth anniversary.