Philippe Leroyer | Flickr (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

Special Focus

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

Women Human Rights Defenders

WHRDs are self-identified women and lesbian, bisexual, transgender, queer and intersex (LBTQI) people and others who defend rights and are subject to gender-specific risks and threats due to their human rights work and/or as a direct consequence of their gender identity or sexual orientation.

WHRDs are subject to systematic violence and discrimination due to their identities and unyielding struggles for rights, equality and justice.

The WHRD Program collaborates with international and regional partners as well as the AWID membership to raise awareness about these risks and threats, advocate for feminist and holistic measures of protection and safety, and actively promote a culture of self-care and collective well being in our movements.


Risks and threats targeting WHRDs  

WHRDs are exposed to the same types of risks that all other defenders who defend human rights, communities, and the environment face. However, they are also exposed to gender-based violence and gender-specific risks because they challenge existing gender norms within their communities and societies.

By defending rights, WHRDs are at risk of:

  • Physical assault and death
  • Intimidation and harassment, including in online spaces
  • Judicial harassment and criminalization
  • Burnout

A collaborative, holistic approach to safety

We work collaboratively with international and regional networks and our membership

  • to raise awareness about human rights abuses and violations against WHRDs and the systemic violence and discrimination they experience
  • to strengthen protection mechanisms and ensure more effective and timely responses to WHRDs at risk

We work to promote a holistic approach to protection which includes:

  • emphasizing the importance of self-care and collective well being, and recognizing that what care and wellbeing mean may differ across cultures
  • documenting the violations targeting WHRDs using a feminist intersectional perspective;
  • promoting the social recognition and celebration of the work and resilience of WHRDs ; and
  • building civic spaces that are conducive to dismantling structural inequalities without restrictions or obstacles

Our Actions

We aim to contribute to a safer world for WHRDs, their families and communities. We believe that action for rights and justice should not put WHRDs at risk; it should be appreciated and celebrated.

  • Promoting collaboration and coordination among human rights and women’s rights organizations at the international level to  strengthen  responses concerning safety and wellbeing of WHRDs.

  • Supporting regional networks of WHRDs and their organizations, such as the Mesoamerican Initiative for WHRDs and the WHRD Middle East and North Africa  Coalition, in promoting and strengthening collective action for protection - emphasizing the establishment of solidarity and protection networks, the promotion of self-care, and advocacy and mobilization for the safety of WHRDs;

  • Increasing the visibility and recognition of  WHRDs and their struggles, as well as the risks that they encounter by documenting the attacks that they face, and researching, producing, and disseminating information on their struggles, strategies, and challenges:

  • Mobilizing urgent responses of international solidarity for WHRDs at risk through our international and regional networks, and our active membership.

Related Content

¿De dónde obtiene AWID su financiamiento?

El trabajo de AWID es posible gracias al apoyo financiero de una amplia gama de donantes, incluyendo agencias multilaterales y bilaterales, fundaciones privadas y fondos de mujeres.

Consulta la lista actualizada de donantes

Clone of #6 - Sexting like a feminist Tweets Snippet ES

¡Está siempre dispuestx a explorar nuevas experiencias! 

Image of a tweet with the photo of American tv Host Steve Harvey. Text says - Me: Sir, have you tried pegging? Him: No, I haven't. Me: Think about it, cuz I would love to screw you the way the workplaces screw employees out of a livable wage.

Yo: Señor, ¿probó por el culo? 
Él: No, no probé.
Yo: Piénselo, porque me gustaría cogérmelo / joderlo tal como a lxs trabajadorxs nos cogen / joden en los trabajos cuando lo que nos pagan no alcanza para vivir.

Les hommes peuvent-ils adhérer à l’AWID ?

Oui, l’adhésion à l’AWID est ouverte à tous ceux et à toutes celles qui partagent nos valeurs.

Nombre d’hommes qui partagent notre engagement vis-à-vis du féminisme et des droits humains des femmes sont membres de l’AWID.

Rencontrez nos membres

Colectivo Morivivi Snippet EN

Colectivo Morivivi

Moriviví is a collective of young female artists, working on public art since April 2013. Based in Puerto Rico, we’ve gained recognition for the creation of murals and community led arts.

Colectivo Morivivi’s Exhibition

I am interested in working for women’s rights. How do I get started?

40 Años de AWID: El Álbum | ES Snippet HOME

40 Años de AWID: El Álbum

En colaboración con la artista Naadira Patel, creamos un álbum que resalta algunos momentos de las últimas cuatro décadas de apoyo a los movimientos feministas por parte de AWID.

Soy una mujer defensora de los derechos humanos (MDDH) y actualmente me encuentro bajo amenaza. ¿A dónde puedo acudir por ayuda?

Snippet Propositions féministes pour une économie juste FR

L’AWID, le Centre pour le leadership mondial des femmes (CWGL en anglais) et le Réseau de Développement et de Communication des Femmes Africaines (FEMNET), proposent ce document de réflexion pour questionner les concepts traditionnels liés au développement. Il inclut également une série de propositions pour un programme féministe en faveur de la justice de genre, de la justice économique et de la justice en matière de développement.

En savoir plus sur les origines du projet


Les propositions

Ces propositions sont formulées pour être discutées, débattues, mises en pièces, adaptées, adoptées ou encore pour en inspirer d’autres.

Pourrons-nous modifier les noms des intervenant·es et les détails des activités au cours de l’année 2024 ? L’envoi de la proposition a lieu presque un an avant la tenue de l’événement !

Oui, tout à fait. Le formulaire actuel vous demande d’énumérer les noms des personnes qui interviendront sur l’activité, même si elles ne sont pas encore confirmées. Nous comprenons bien que des changements peuvent se produire au cours de l’année.

2008: la Conférence internationale de Doha se déroule avec des résultats limités

Conférence internationale de suivi sur le financement du développement, Doha, Qatar

Snippet She is on her way_Fest (EN)

Plenary session:

She is on her way:
Alternatives, feminisms and another world

Felogene Anumo, AWID
Dr. Vandana Shiva, India
Dr. Dilar Dirik, Kurdistan
Nana Akosua Hanson, Ghana

watch plenary

 

กลุ่มของฉันหรือฉันควรจะเข้าร่วมในฟอรั่มที่ถูกยกเลิก ฉันจะเข้าร่วมในฟอรั่มนี้ได้อย่างไร?

เราจะติดต่อกับองค์กรพาร์เนอร์ในอดีตเพื่อให้มั่นใจว่าความพยายามที่เคยเตรียมไว้ในอดีตมีความหมาย หากองค์กรของคุณมีการเปลี่ยนแปลงข้อมูลติดต่อจากฟอรัมครั้งก่อนหน้ากรุณาแจ้งให้พวกเราทราบเพื่อให้เราสามารถติดต่อถึงคุณได้

January 2015: 1st drafting session on the outcome document for the 3rd FfD Conference

The 1st drafting session on the outcome document for the 3rd Financing for Development Conference

  • In January 2015 a series of drafting sessions towards the final outcome document started at UN headquarters in New York.
  • Prior to the first drafting session the co-facilitators of the Addis conference preparatory process presented an elements paper for the so-called “zero-draft” outcome document, as the basis for the intergovernmental negotiations of the outcome document.
  • During the sessions, women’s rights organisations emphasised the need to treat the FfD and means of implementations (MOI) under the post 2015 processes separately, because FfD provides a unique opportunity for states to address the structural causes of inequality

Snippet Day 14_Fest (ES)

La historia de Crear, Résister, Transform

Coumba Toure

ver vide


Palabras de clausura: ¿Cómo seguimos?

Cindy Clark, AWID

ver video


Fem Joy: ¡Fiesta de cierre!

DJ Miss Ray
DJ Luana Flores
Phoenix Inana

ฉันจะสามรถหาทุนสนับสนุนการเข้าร่วม AWID ฟอรัมได้อย่างไร

ถ้ากลุ่มหรือองค์กรของคุณได้รับการสนับสนุนเงินทุน คุณสามารถพูดคุยกับแหล่งทุนของคุณได้ตั้งแต่ตอนนี้หากพวกเค้าสามารถสนับสนุนการเดินทางและการเข้าร่วมของคุณได้ หลายองค์กรวางแผนงบประมาณปีหน้าในปี 2566 จึงเป็นการดีกว่าหากสามารถพูดคุยกับพวกเค้าก่อนภายในปีนี้