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Special Focus

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

Memory as Resistance: A Tribute to WHRDs no longer with us

AWID’s Tribute is an art exhibition honouring feminists, women’s rights and social justice activists from around the world who are no longer with us. 


In 2020, we are taking a turn

This year’s tribute tells stories and shares narratives about those who co-created feminist realities, have offered visions of alternatives to systems and actors that oppress us, and have proposed new ways of organising, mobilising, fighting, working, living, and learning.

49 new portraits of feminists and Women Human Rights Defenders (WHRDs) are added to the gallery. While many of those we honour have passed away due to old age or illness, too many have been killed as a result of their work and who they are.

This increasing violence (by states, corporations, organized crime, unknown gunmen...) is not only aimed at individual activists but at our joint work and feminist realities.

The stories of activists we honour keep their legacy alive and carry their inspiration forward into our movements’ future work.

Visit the online exhibit

The portraits of the 2020 edition are designed by award winning illustrator and animator, Louisa Bertman

AWID would like to thank the families and organizations who shared their personal stories and contributed to this memorial. We join them in continuing the remarkable work of these activists and WHRDs and forging efforts to ensure justice is achieved in cases that remain in impunity.

“They tried to bury us. They didn’t know we were seeds.” - Mexican Proverb 


The Tribute was first launched in 2012

It took shape with a physical exhibit of portraits and biographies of feminists and activists who passed away at AWID’s 12th International Forum, in Turkey. It now lives as an online gallery, updated every year.

To date, 467 feminists and WHRDs are featured.

Visit the online exhibit

Related Content

¿Qué idiomas estarán incluidos en el Foro?

Inglés, francés, español, y chino mandarín.

Snippet FEA Brisa Escobar Quote (EN)

"My dreams and objectives have always been the same as those of Lohana Berkins: for the cooperative to continue standing and not to close. To continue to give this place to our travesti comrades, to give them work and a place of support"

Brisa Escobar,
president of the Cooperative

Snippet - WITM Start the survey 1 - PT

 

Globe

O inquérito está disponível em árabe, inglês, francês, português, russo e espanhol!

 

Juana Raymundo

Juana was an Indigenous Mayan Ixil, professional nurse and coordinator of the Farmers’ Development Committee (Comité de Desarrollo Campesino – CODECA).

CODECA is a human rights organisation of Indigenous farmers dedicated to promoting land rights and rural development for Indigenous families) in the Nebaj Quiché micro-region. She first joined CODECA as a member of its youth branch (Juventud de CODECA). At the time of her death had been elected to be part of the Executive Committee of the Movement for the Liberation of Peoples (MLP).

Juana’s body was found by neighbours by a small river on the road near Nebaj and Acambalam Village, Guatemala. According to CODECA, her body showed signs of torture.


 

Juana Raymundo, Guatemala

Remembering: A Tribute to WHRDs no longer with us

AWID honors feminists and Women Human Rights Defenders (WHRDs) who have died and whose contributions to the advancement of human rights are very much missed.


Celebrating Activists and WHRDs

AWID’s WHRD Tribute is a photo exhibition featuring feminist, women’s rights and social justice activists from around the world who are no longer with us. 

The Tribute was first launched in 2012, at AWID’s 12th International Forum, in Turkey. It took shape with a physical exhibit of portraits and biographies of feminists and activists who passed away. The initiative was described by Forum participants as being a unique, moving and energizing way to commemorate our collective history.

At the 13th International Forum in Brazil, we honored activists and WHRDs with a mural unveiling ceremony in four languages, a dance performance and a Brazilian ritual.

In between the events, the Tribute lives as an online gallery that is updated every year as part of the 16 Days Campaign Against Gender Based Violence (25 November – 10 December).

Contributions from all over the world

Since 2012, through our annual Tribute to Women Human Rights Defenders (WHRDs) no longer with us, over 400 feminists and WHRDs from 11 regions and 80 countries have been featured. 

AWID would like to thank the families and organizations who shared their personal stories and contributed to this memorial. We join them in continuing the remarkable work of these women and forging efforts to ensure justice is achieved in cases that remain in impunity.

Visit the WHRD Tribute online exhibit

The violence and threaths against WHRDs persist

In addition to paying homage to these incredible activists, the Tribute particularly sheds light on the plight of WHRDs who have been assassinated or disappeared.

One third of those featured in the Tribute were activists who have been murdered or disappeared in suspicious circumstances. They were specifically targeted for who they were and the work they did to challenge: 

  • State power
  • Heteronormativity
  • Fundamentalisms
  • Corporations
  • Patriarchy
  • Organized Crime
  • Corruption
  • Militarization…

Women like Agnes Torres, from Mexico, was killed because of her gender identity and sexual orientation; or Cheryl Ananayo, an environmental activist from the Philippines was assassinated as she struggled against a mining company; or Ruqia Hassan, a Syrian independent journalist and blogger killed for her criticism of ISIS. And so many others.

With the WHRD Tribute, we bring them all into our collective memory and carry their legacy of struggle as our torch in the feminists’ and women’s rights movements. We recognize that security, safety and self-care must be a priority in all our political agendas. And we call on to governments and international bodies to collectively address violence against feminists and WHRDs.

We believe this is a critical step to ensure the sustainability of our movements for gender equality, women’s rights, and justice for all.

Visit the WHRD Tribute online exhibit

¿Qué ocurre con las propuestas enviadas a través del Llamado actividades?

  1. La primera selección de actividades la realizará el personal de AWID.
  2. A quienes propusieron las actividades que pasen esa primera selección lxs invitaremos a participar de un proceso de votación. Las propuestas más votadas se incluirán en el programa del Foro. AWID podrá hacer algunos ajustes a la selección final para garantizar que nuestro programa guarde un equilibrio adecuado entre regiones, colectivos, temáticas y metodologías.  
  3. El Comité de Contenidos y Metodología del Foro se pondrá en contacto con lxs organizadorxs de las actividades seleccionadas para apoyarlxs en el desarrollo de sus actividades.

Actualizaremos los resultados de este proceso en el sitio web a su debido tiempo.

Snippet FEA Map of Georgia (ES)

Esta imagen es un primer plano de Georgia en rosa coral con un alfiler amarillo que indica "Sindicato Red de Solidaridad".

Snippet - WITM about research - AR

عن استطلاع "أين المال"

استطلاع "اين المال" (أين التمويل للتنظيمات النسوية) هو ركيزة أساسية للنسخة الثالثة لأبحاثنا الموجهة نحو العمل. سيتم بحث وتوسيع نتائج الاستطلاع من خلال المحادثات العميقة مع النشطاء/ الناشطات والممولين/ات وسيتم مقارنة النتائج مع تحليلات وبحوث أخرى عن وضع التمويل للحركات النسوية وحركات العدالة الجندرية.

سيتم نشر تقرير أين المال للتنظيمات النسوية في العام 2026.

لمعرفة المزيد عن كيف تسلّط جمعية حقوق المرأة في التنمية الضوء على على تمويل التنظيمات النسوية أو ضدها، انظروا إلى قصة "أين المال" وتقارير سابقة هنا

Kagendo Murungi

Kagendo es cariñosamente recordada por su familia y amigxs como una férrea activista feminista africana, artista y realizadora cinematográfica

Dedicó más de 20 años a defender los derechos y la dignidad de las personas LGBTIQ y de género no normativo de África. Lxs colegas de Kagendo la recuerdan como alguien con una personalidad jovial, convicciones férreas y amor a la vida. Kagendo murió por causas naturales en su hogar de Harlem, el 27 de diciembre de 2017.

Al producirse su fallecimiento, la escritora y activista keniata Shailja Patel destacó «el compromiso de toda la vida de Kagendo para establecer una relación entre todas las formas de opresión, mostrando de qué manera el colonialismo alentó la homofobia en el continente africano, para convertir así a Kenia en un país donde las personas queer y las mujeres libres puedan vivir y progresar».


 

Kagendo Murungi, Kenya

En su lucha por los derechos humanos enfrentan la injusticia en América Latina

Este año honramos a 19 defensoras de la región de América Latina y el Caribe. De ellas, 16 fueron asesinadas, incluyendo a 6 periodistas y 4 defensoras LGBTQI. Únete a nosotras en la conmemoración de  sus vidas y trabajo,  compartiendo los memes aquí incluidos con tus colegas, amistades y redes; y tuiteando las etiquetas #WHRDTribute y #16Días.


Por favor, haz click en cada imagen de abajo para ver una versión más grande y para descargar como un archivo.

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¿Necesito visa para asistir al Foro de Taipéi?

Si tienes pasaporte de alguno de los siguientes países (el tiempo de estadía permitido varía según el país), NO necesitas visa para asistir al Foro de Taipéi:

Alemania, Andorra, Australia, Austria, Bélgica, Belice, Bulgaria, Brunei, Canadá, Chile, Ciudad del Vaticano, Croacia, Chipre, Dinamarca, Eslovaquia, Eslovenia, Estados Unidos de América, Estonia, España, Esuatini, Filipinas, Finlandia, Francia, Grecia, Guatemala, Haití, Honduras, Hungría, Irlanda, Islandia, Israel, Italia, Japón*, Letonia, Liechtenstein, Lituania, Luxemburgo, Malasia, Malta, Islas Marshall, Mónaco, Nauru, Nueva Zelanda, Nicaragua, Noruega, Países Bajos, Palaos, Paraguay, Polonia, Portugal, Reino Unido, República Checa, República de Corea, República Dominicana, Rumania, Rusia, San Cristóbal y Nieves, San Marino, Santa Lucía, San Vicente y las Granadinas, Singapur, Suecia, Suiza y Tuvalu.

Las personas con cualquier otro pasaporte NECESITARÁN VISA para ir a Taipéi.

 


Por favor ten en cuenta:

Es probable que, una vez que te hayas inscripto para asistir al Foro, te llegue un código relacionado con el evento que te permitirá tramitar tu visa en forma electrónica, cualquiera sea tu ciudadanía.

Brindaremos más información sobre este tema cuando se abra el proceso de inscripción.

Snippet FEA collaborator and allies Photo 1 (FR)

La photo montre Sopo Japaridze, l'une des cofondatrices de l'Union Solidarity Network. Sopo a de longs cheveux bruns, avec une frange, et des yeux bruns, et porte un masque rouge de l'Union du réseau de solidarité. La photo est prise de nuit.

Por que devo considerar responder ao inquérito?

Existem várias razões pelas quais a sua resposta ao inquérito WITM é importante. Por exemplo, tem a oportunidade de partilhar a sua experiência vivida com a mobilização de financiamento para apoiar a sua organização; de reivindicar o seu poder como especialista sobre como o dinheiro circula e os bolsos em que entra; e de contribuir para a defesa coletiva e consistente junto de financiadores para mover mais recursos de maior qualidade. Ao longo das últimas duas décadas, o inquérito WITM da AWID tem-se revelado um recurso fundamental para ativistas e financiadores. Convidamo-lo a juntar-se a nós na sua terceira edição para destacar o estado efetivo do financiamento, desafiar soluções falsas e apontar a forma como o financiamento precisa de mudar para que os movimentos prosperem e enfrentem os desafios complexos do nosso tempo.

Benoîte Groult

Benoîte était une journaliste, écrivaine et militante féministe française.

Elle a publié plus de 20 romans et de nombreux essais sur le féminisme

Son premier livre « Ainsi Soit-Elle » a été publié en 1975. Le livre explore l’histoire des droits des femmes ainsi que la misogynie et la violence à l’égard des femmes.

Son dernier livre, « Ainsi Soit Olympe de Gouges», a exploré la question des droits des femmes pendant la Révolution française, se concentrant sur la figure de l’ancienne féministe française Olympe de Gouges. De Gouges fut guillotinée en 1793 pour avoir défié l'autorité des hommes et publié la « Déclaration des droits de la femme et de la citoyenne » deux ans auparavant. 


 

Benoïte Groult, France

WHRDs from the South and Southeast Asian region

7 Women Human Rights Defenders from across the South and Southeast Asian region are honored in this year’s Online Tribute. These defenders have made key contributions to advancing human and women’s rights, indigenous people’s rights, and the right to education. These WHRDs were lawyers, women’s rights activists, scholars, and politicians. Please join AWID in commemorating t their work and legacy by sharing the memes below with your colleagues, networks and friends and by using the hashtags #WHRDTribute and #16Days. 


Please click on each image below to see a larger version and download as a file

 

Snippet FEA Workers demonstrations in Georgia 3 (EN)

The photo shows a demonstration with a crowd holding green and white posters.