Jean-Marc Ferré | Flickr (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)
A general view of participants at the 16th session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva, Switzerland.

Special Focus

AWID is an international, feminist, membership organisation committed to achieving gender equality, sustainable development and women’s human rights

Human Rights Council (HRC)

The Human Rights Council (HRC) is the key intergovernmental body within the United Nations system responsible for the promotion and protection of all human rights around the globe. It holds three regular sessions a year: in March, June and September. The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) is the secretariat for the HRC.

The HRC works by:

  • Debating and passing resolutions on global human rights issues and human rights situations in particular countries

  • Examining complaints from victims of human rights violations or activist organizations on behalf of victims of human rights violations

  • Appointing independent experts (known as “Special Procedures”) to review human rights violations in specific countries and examine and further global human rights issues

  • Engaging in discussions with experts and governments on human rights issues

  • Assessing the human rights records of all UN Member States every four and a half years through the Universal Periodic Review

Learn more about the HRC


AWID works with feminist, progressive and human rights partners to share key knowledge, convene civil society dialogues and events, and influence negotiations and outcomes of the session.

With our partners, our work will:

◾️ Monitor, track and analyze anti-rights actors, discourses and strategies and their impact on resolutions

◾️ Raise awareness of the findings of the 2017 and 2021 OURs Trends Reports.

◾️Support the work of feminist UN experts in the face of backlash and pressure

◾️Advocate for state accountability
 
◾️ Work with feminist movements and civil society organizations to advance rights related to gender and sexuality.
 

Related Content

Snippet FEA Occupation’s kitchen Instagram (FR)

Campagne publicitaire d'Ocupação 9 de Julho :

Photo of Cozinha Ocupação 9 de Julho team in aprons
Yellow square that says "As mulheres sustentam o cuidado" or Women sustain care in Portuguese.
Yellow square that says "O cuidado sustenta a vida" or "Care sustains life" in Portuguese.
Yellow square that says "A vida sustenta a economia" or "Life sustains the economy" in Portuguese.
Yellow square that says: "Mas quen cuida das mulheres?" or "But who is taking care of women?" in Portuguese.
A yellow square that says "Nenhuma a menos" which translates to "Not another woman less"
Yellow square that says "Juntas, Juntos, Juntes" which translates to "Together, together, together"
Yellow square announcing Sunday Lunch at the Occupation's Kitchen

Les Femmes Maintiennent les Soins | Les Soins Soutiennent la Vie | La Vie Soutient l'Économie | Qui s'Occupe des Femmes ? | Pas Une de Moins1 | Ensemble | Déjeuner du Dimanche

1Nenhuna a menos se traduit littéralement par « pas une femme de moins » ou « ni una menos » en espagnol - un célèbre slogan féministe en Amérique latine qui a émergé en Argentine en réponse à l'augmentation de la violence sexiste.

Juin 2015

Tenue des autres sessions de rédaction du document final d’Addis-Abeba

Pour plus d’informations, voir le « guide du routard des OSC » (le CSO Hitchhiker’s Guide – en anglais).

Snippet - CSW68 - Follow Socials - ES

¡Síguenos!

A través de eventos presenciales, lives en nuestras redes sociales, un stand de exhibición y más. Nos presentamos para convocar, amplificar y apoyar las voces y la participación de nuestra membresía y aliades.

Juntes vamos a Reclamar Nuestro Poder Feminista al elevar las alternativas y visiones feministas en torno a economías que centran los sistemas colectivos de cuidado y nutren tanto al planeta como a las personas.

¡Síguenos en las redes sociales para más detalles sobre cómo participar! Sea parte de las conversaciones utilizando los hashtags #AWIDatCSW68 y #RecuperarNuestroPoderFeminista

Instagram | Facebook | LinkedIn | X (Twitter)

Snippet FEA Clemencia (EN)

Meet Clemencia Carabalí Rodallega, an extraordinary Afro-Colombian feminist.

She has worked relentlessly for three decades towards the safeguarding of human rights, women’s rights and peace-building in conflict areas on the Pacific Coast of Colombia.

Clemencia has made significant contributions to the fight for truth, reparations and justice for the victims of Colombia’s civil war. She received the National Award for the Defense of Human Rights in 2019, and also participated in the campaign of newly elected Afro-Colombian and long-time friend, vice-president Francia Marquez.

Although Clemencia has faced and continues to face many hardships, including threats and assassination attempts, she continues to fight for the rights of Afro-Colombian women and communities across the country.

What is the 14th AWID Forum theme?

The 14th Forum theme is “Feminist Realities: our power in action”. 

We understand Feminist Realities as the different ways of existing and being that show us what is possible, despite dominant power systems, and in defiance and resistance to them.  We understand these feminist realities as reclamations and embodiments of hope and power, and as  multi-dimentional, dynamic and rooted in specific contexts and historical moments.

Read more about Feminist Realities

 

Snippet - WITM To share - ES

Para compartir tu experiencia con el financiamiento de tu organización.

Snippet FEA Metzineres activists (ES)

A crowd of people sitting in front of a banner which says ‘support, don't punish”;
Photo of two women talking to each other, one of them is holding a handheld fan.
Crowd of people with a black banner that says Metzineres in yellow.
Photo of four people sitting on the ground and talking
Photo people with plants around them, most of them sitting and clapping to a person who is walking in the middle

 

Activistas de Metzineres en acción

What will be different about this Forum?

We have always worked towards ensuring that our Forums are co-developed with partners, movements and our priority constituencies.

For our upcoming Forum, we aim to deepen and strengthen that spirit and practice of co-creation and collaboration. We also recognize the need to improve the balance between the inclusion of many voices and experiences with room for participants and staff to breathe, take pause and enjoy some downtime.

This Forum will be different in the following ways: 

  • We will have far less organized Forum activities because we want people to have time to engage, experience, process, talk to each other, etc.  This is key to communicate: you can come to the Forum, be very engaged and active and not facilitate any organized activity (or “session”).
  • We will have Open Spaces - at least one whole afternoon without any organized activities - but also physical spaces available throughout the Forum for people to self-organize meetings, etc.
  • We have a Content and Methodology Committee made up of feminists from different regions with expertise on participatory methodologies to support us and all those leading activities at the Forum to use creative and engaging  formats for the Forum activities. 

 

María Verónica Reina

María was recognized globally for her extraordinary leadership in the disability community.

She represented the International Disability and Development Consortium during the negotiation of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (2001-2006).

Her work was devoted to the implementation of the goal of the Convention - realization of universal human rights by, for and with persons with disabilities for an inclusive, accessible and sustainable world.

In her words, her leadership was about “...serving the disability community, starting with small tasks that others may not wish to do”.

She passed away on October 27, 2017 in her hometown of Rosario, Argentina.

Read more about María Verónica Reina in her own words 

 


 

María Verónica Reina, Argentina

Snippet - WITM Why now_col 1 - EN

Why should I take it now?

A monochromatic orange illustration of a woman with curly hair with her hand on her chin. She seems to inquisitive or posing a question.

Feminist, women’s rights, gender justice, LBTQI+ and allied movements around the world are at a critical juncture, facing a powerful backlash on previously-won rights and freedoms. Recent years have brought the rapid rise of authoritarianism, violent repression of civil society, criminalization of women and gender-diverse human rights defenders, escalating war and conflict in many parts of our world, continued perpetuation of economic injustices, and the intersecting health, ecology and climate crises.

Snippet FEA Get Involved 1 (FR)

ENGAGEZ-VOUS!

Vous pouvez suivre le travail de ces collectifs sur les réseaux sociaux et sites internet suivant:

How can I fund my participation in the AWID Forum? Many activists will not be able to afford the cost of the Forum – is AWID doing anything to provide assistance?

Please visit the "Funding ideas" page to get some ideas and inspiration for how you can fund your participation at the next Forum, including the limited support AWID will be able to provide.

Asma Jahangir

Asma fue una destacada activista pakistaní por los derechos humanos, valiente crítica de la interferencia de los militares en la política, y firme defensora del estado de derecho.

Fue la fundadora y presidenta de la Human Rights Commission of Pakistan [Comisión de Derechos Humanos de Pakistán, un grupo independiente], y una de las administradoras del International Crisis Group. Obtuvo premios internacionales, y fue Relatora Especial de Naciones Unidas sobre derechos humanos y ejecuciones extrajudiciales.

Es recordada con afecto por sus colegas y amigxs de AWID

«Con su vida, Asma reescribió la historia que a muchas nos contaron, como mujeres. Asma cambió el mundo. Lo cambió en Pakistán, y lo cambió en nuestras imaginaciones.»

 


 

Asma Jahangir, Pakistan