Announcing the Women Human Rights Defenders International Coalition’s Global Report on the Situation of Women Human Rights Defenders

New Resource! “Ten Insights to Strengthen Responses for Women Human Rights Defenders at Risk”

Women human rights defenders and the struggle for justice in Colombia

Center for Reproductive Rights (CRR) Resources:

Fact-finding report “Defending Human Rights: Abortion Providers Facing Threats, Restrictions, Harassment”

 

For more than 60 years, the United States has joined most countries of the world in formally recognizing and committing to protect the fundamental human rights set out in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. These include the rights to life, equality, privacy, medical care, information, education, and freedom from discrimination.

Please ask for a copy of the report on the website: http://org2.democracyinaction.org/o/5971/t/6770/signUp.jsp?key=1103

For more information on the campaign incl. a video and briefing papers to the SR-HRD, please visit: http://reproductiverights.org/en/project/recognizing-abortion-providers-as-human-rights-defenders

Urgent Responses For Women Human Rights Defenders At Risk: Mapping And Preliminary Assessment

This publication was produced by the Women Human Rights Defenders International Coalition and was facilitated by AWID as part of its work as Chair of the Coalition’s Working Group on Urgent Responses.

“Urgent Responses” presents the responses offered by a broad range of human rights organizations operating at different levels—international, regional and national—as well as groups with differing thematic priorities, including those working on women’s rights, human rights and sexual orientation. After a brief overview of violence that WHRDs face,“Urgent Responses” outlines the different types of responses that are available – from urgent appeals to temporary relocation, from engaging with international institutions to stress management and medical assistance. In order to help WHRDs identify the resources and tools available, a main component of “Urgent Responses” is a table that provides an overview of the organizations interviewed and the responses that exist, followed by details of each of the participating organizations’ work, organized by the type of responses reviewed.

This publication is part of a new series that AWID is producing with the WHRD International Coalition. The aims of the WHRD series are to increase awareness of resources that exist to support and defend WHRDs and to ensure that women’s rights activists around the world have the necessary information to easily access these resources.

• English
• Spanish
• French
• Russian
• Arabic

If you want a printed copy, email contact@awid.org

Addressing Gaps in the Defense of Women Human Rights Defenders: A Report on the Strategic Conversation (2011)

The Center for Women's Global Leadership (CWGL) is pleased to publish this report on the ongoing efforts being taken by the Women Human Rights Defenders International Coalition (WHRD IC) and its allies to shed light on the unique challenges women human rights defenders face and to create new systems of advocacy on their behalf. The 2009 meeting of defenders was a collaborative effort between the WHRD IC and CWGL to bring together women working specifically on defenders' rights. The strategic conversation on Addressing Gaps in the Defense of Women Human Rights Defenders was convened with the knowledge that more than a decade after the recognition of women's rights as human rights at the 1993 UN World Conference on Human Rights in Vienna, Austria and subsequently at the 1995 Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing, China, there continue to be many gaps in the integration of women's concerns into the international human rights agenda.

• English

New Resource

Norway's Efforts to Support Human Rights Defenders:

Guide for the foreign service is a new set of guidelines prepared by the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs to assist Norwegian missions to implement the EU Guidelines on Human Rights Defenders and systematically intensify their efforts to support human rights defenders, including women and LGBTI defenders.
English

If you are interested in hard copies, please contact the Section for Human Rights: mrsek@mfa.no and they will send it to you.

LIST of MATERIALS and RESOURCES for Women Human Rights Defenders

This compilation of resources for women human rights defenders at risk is the result of a research endeavor launched by the Association for Women’s Rights in Development (AWID) in collaboration with the Women Human Rights Defenders International Coalition, in particular with its working group on urgent responses. The aim of the compilation is to provide women human rights defenders with a reference tool of existing resources that may be useful to their work and to those facing risks.

The compilation lists existing research materials dealing with the safety, security and protection of defenders, resources that women activists can consult concerning their wellbeing and self-care, manuals dealing with how to document and monitor violations of women’s rights and how to conduct trial observation, as well as manuals on the rights and mechanisms available to women human rights defenders at risk. The compilation also references materials that address specific themes particularly relevant to women defenders, such as sexual orientation, religious fundamentalisms and conflict.

• English

• Espanõl

• Français

This report analyses the responses to the women human rights defenders questionnaire developed by the Women Human Rights Defenders International Coalition.  There were 90 respondents in 32 countries that answered the survey.  Except for 2 men and 2 transgender, the respondents were all female. There were 6 who identified themselves as lesbians, 1 as bi-sexual, and many as heterosexuals.  Over half of the respondents have spent more than 10 years in activism. All except 1 of the respondents belong to a formal organisation. 

In spite of a high level of education among all respondents, only 3 of those that answered this question stated that they earn over US $5,000 a month.  Over a fifth stated they earn only about US$ 200 a month.  24% make not more than US $ 5,000 and 16% earn between US $ 501 – 1,000.

80 of the 90 respondents claimed they have heard of the term ‘women human rights defenders’; and 75 identified themselves as such. More than half of them experienced violations as women human rights defenders.  The most common violations are:  intimidation and harassment; surveillance and blacklisting; attacks and intimidation of family members; defamation, slander, vilification; killing and attempted killing.  About 8 of the female respondents claimed experiencing sexual violence.

While only 1 respondent cited ‘restrictive use of customary law and religion’ as a violation, many of the women human rights defenders cited discrimination against them as a major obstacle to their activism.  This is so particularly for respondents belonging to marginalised groups such as Dalit, transgender and LGBTs.  In general, the defenders’ vulnerability to violations is closely related to their focus of work, with those working in conflict areas, defence of human rights defenders, and sexual and reproductive rights more vulnerable than others.  Women human rights defenders that work at local or national levels also experienced more violations than those who work with regional or international organisations.

Almost all of the respondents cited lack of resources as a major obstacle in their work.  Regardless of their number of children and responsibilities at home, majority complained of physical and psychological exhaustion.  The survey indicated that women human rights activism is so under-resourced yet the level of impunity is high that the women human rights defenders have exploited themselves in the process.

The respondents recommended that the following must change to improve their situation:  1) Step up and continue efforts to end impunity; 2) Create an enabling environment for women by combating discrimination in all forms;  3)  Address activists’ well-being and security;  4) advocate for more resources for women’s rights;  5) continue capacity building and education on human rights.

The findings speak to the validity of the four calls of the international campaign on women human rights defenders in 2005, and affirm the relevance of the strategic objectives identified by the coalition in January 2008. 

 

Click here to download English version
Click here to download French version
Click here to download Spanish version

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Report of the Consultation on Women Human Rights Defenders with the UN Special Representative of the Secretary General on Human Rights Defenders, Bangkok, 2003.

The Consultation on Women Human Rights Defenders was convened by Asia Pacific Forum on Women, Law and Development (APWLD), Amnesty International (AI) and International Women’s Rights Action Watch-Asia Pacific (IWRAW-AP) on April 4-6, 2003 at Amari Atrium Hotel, Bangkok, Thailand. It was attended by 30 participants from Bangladesh, Cambodia, Costa Rica, Guatemala, India, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Pakistan, the Philippines, Switzerland, Thailand, the United States and the United Kingdom. The UN Special Representative on Human Rights Defenders also participated in the consultation.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD ENGLISH VERSION

Proceedings of the International Consultation on Women Human Rights Defenders by Victoria Collis, River Path Associates

Evaluation Report of the International Campaign on Women Human Rights Defenders

This evaluation report is an assessment of the activities and results of the International Campaign on Women Human Rights Defenders in 2005. It reviews the outcomes of the international consultation, the main event of the campaign, and the impacts of various activities carried out by the Women Human Rights Defenders' International Coordinating Committee (WHRD-ICC). It also details the various follow-up activities proposed by the participants and the WHRD-ICC.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD ENGLISH VERSION
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD FRENCH VERSION
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD SPANISH VERSION

Resource Book on Women Human Rights Defenders

This resource book is a collection of the presentations made during the plenary sessions at the International Consultation on Women Human Rights Defenders held on 29 November - 2 December in Colombo, Sri Lanka. The presentations have been edited and transformed into short articles that discuss in more detail and depth the various topics on women human rights defenders included in the program. It aims to capture the varied and complex manifestations of the challenges faced by women human rights defenders working in different regions, on different areas of human rights. It attempts to raise some of the controversial, yet crucial considerations in evolving strategies that are appropriate for the protection of women human right defenders. This publication is intended as a complimentary resource book to the published proceedings of the consultation.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD ENGLISH VERSION
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD FRENCH VERSION
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD SPANISH VERSION

In observance of the 16 Days of Activism to end Gender Violence 25 November to 10 December International Day for Women Human Rights Defenders 29 November World Human Rights Day 10 December

This video is created in observance of the 16 Days of Activism to end Gender Violence, International Day for Women Human Rights Defenders, and World Human Rights Day 2008. Footages were taken from WHRD meetings, APWLD photo bank and the One-in-Nine Campaign: Solidarity with Women who Speak Out march at Cape Town, South Africa 2008.