Women human rights defenders
Women human rights defenders (WHRDs) are women who defend human rights, and defenders of all genders who defend the rights of women and rights related to gender and sexuality.[1][2][3] Their work and the challenges they face have been recognized by a United Nations (UN) resolution in 2013, which calls for specific protection for women human rights defenders.[4]
A woman human rights defender can be an Indigenous woman fighting for the rights of her community, a woman advocating against torture, an LGBTQI rights campaigner, a sex workers’ rights collective, or a man fighting for sexual and reproductive rights.[1]
Like other human rights defenders, women human rights defenders can be the target of attacks as they demand the realization of human rights. They face attacks such as discrimination, assault, threats, and violence within their communities. However, women human rights defenders face additional obstacles based on who they are and the specific rights they defend. This means they are targeted just because they are women, LGBTI people or for identifying with their struggles. They also face additional obstacles connected with systemic discrimination and inequality and because they challenge, or are seen to be challenging, patriarchal power and social norms. They are more at risk of facing gender based violence in the home and the community, and sexist, misogynistic, homophobic, trans-phobic threats, smears and stigmatization, as well as exclusion from resources and power.[5][6][7]
International Women Human Rights Defenders Day has been celebrated each 29 November since 2006.[6]
Examples of contemporary WHRDs
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- Morena Herrera (El Salvador)
- Estela de Carlotto (Argentina)
- Aura Lolita Chavez Ixcaquic (Guatemala)
- Maxima Acuna (Peru)
- Sheyene Gerardi (Venezuela)
- Sonia Pierre (Haiti)
- Su Changlan (China)
- Leila de Lima (Philippines)
- Angkhana Neelapaijit (Thailand)
- Hina Jilani (Pakistan)
- Azza Soliman (Egypt)
- Narges Mohammadi (Iran)
- Loujain Al-Hathlou (Saudi Arabia)
- Katana Gégé Bukuru (DR Congo)
- Salimata Lam (Mauritania)
- Delphine Djiraibe (Chad)
- Lydia Foy (Ireland)
- Marjan Sax (Netherlands)
- Anina Ciuciu (France/Romania)
- Anna Mokrousova (Ukraine)
- Chonthicha Jaengraew (Thailand)
- Hortense Louge (Burkina Faso)
- Caoimhe Butterly (Ireland)
- Geraldine Chacón (Venezuela)
These are some of the WHRDs killed in recent years, because of their human rights activism
- Berta Cáceres (Honduras)
- Marielle Franco (Brazil)
- Miroslava Breach (Mexico)
- Dr George Tiller (USA)
- Gauri Lankesh (India)
- Xulhaz Mannan (Bangladesh)
- Noxolo Nogwaza (South Africa)
- David Kato (Uganda)
- Natalia Estemirova (Russia)
- Hande Kader (Turkey)
- Salwa Bugaighis (Libya)
- Almaas Elman (Somalia/Canada)
See also List of women killed fighting for human rights.
References
- ^ a b "About WHRDIC |". www.defendingwomen-defendingrights.org. Retrieved 2018-05-13.
- ^ "Women Human Rights Defenders". AWID. 2014-12-17. Retrieved 2018-05-13.
- ^ "Report of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders, Margaret Sekaggya (2010)". www.un.org. Retrieved 2018-05-13.
- ^ "UN adopts landmark resolution on Protecting Women Human Rights Defenders". ISHR. Retrieved 2018-05-13.
- ^ "Document". www.amnesty.org. Retrieved 2018-05-13.
- ^ a b "OHCHR | International Women Human Rights Defenders Day –29 November 2016". www.ohchr.org. Retrieved 2018-05-13.
- ^ "Our Work |". www.defendingwomen-defendingrights.org. Retrieved 2018-11-08.
External links
- Women human rights defenders. UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights
- Women Human Rights Defenders International Coalition (WHRD-IC)
- #Defendher campaign