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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

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.

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The 2024 AWID Feminist Calendar

Image of a calendar on a wall. https://www.awid.org/sites/default/files/2024-02/calendar-mockup_gif_0.gif

This calendar invites us to immerse ourselves in the inspiring world of feminist artistry. Each month, as it gently unfolds, brings forth the vivid artwork of feminist and queer artists from our communities. Their creations are not mere images; they are profound narratives that resonate with the experiences of struggle, triumph, and undying courage that define our collective quest. These visual stories, bursting with color and emotion, serve to bridge distances and weave together our diverse experiences, bringing us closer in our shared missions.

This calendar is our call to you: Use it, print it, share it. Let it be a daily companion in your journey, a constant reminder of our interconnectedness and our shared visions for a better world.

Let it inspire you, as it inspires us, to keep moving forward together.

Image of a section of the 2024 calendar cover. Is show the top of a pyramid, a celestial object orbited by dancing naked bodies and a face with a third eye have open emerging from the water in the horizon.

Use it. Print it. Share it. 

Get it in your preferred language!

English
Français
Español
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عربي
Русский
Thai

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¡Deja tus prejuicios, tus preconceptos Y tu ropa de la puerta para afuera!

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Patience Chabururuka

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Patience is a global human resources professional with over a decade of experience in human resources (HR) management in the not-for-profit sector. Patience previously worked at Mercy Corps as the Global HR Officer for Africa supporting the full employee life cycle for expatriates in the Eastern and Southern African region and provided HR technical guidance to Human Resources leaders in country offices within the African region. Before joining the global people team, she was the Country Human Resources and Safeguarding Focal Point, she was part of the senior management team leading on all human resources and safeguarding matters. Prior to Mercy Corps she led the HR and Operations department at SNV Netherlands Development Organization and was a member of the country management team. She also has HR Consultancy experience which she gained while she was still studying for her BSc Honors degree in Human Resource Management. She has a passion for HR, loves working with people and she takes wellbeing and safeguarding as her core values and in her professional work. As someone who loves sports, you can also find Patience at the basketball court, the tennis court or on the soccer field.

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Nana Abuelsoud

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Nana is a feminist organizer and a reproductive rights and population policy researcher based in Egypt. She is a member of Realizing Sexual and Reproductive Justice (RESURJ), a member of the Advisory Board of the A Project in Lebanon, and a member of the Community Committee of Mama Cash. Nana holds an MSc in Public Health from KIT Institute and Vrije University in Amsterdam. In her work, she follows and contextualizes national population policies while building evidence that addresses modern eugenics, regressive international aid, and authoritarianism. Previously, she was part of the Geneva Foundation for Medical Education and Research, the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights, and Ikhtyar Feminist Collective in Cairo.

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Do you produce an annual report?

Yes, we do produce annual reports.

All our annual reports are accessible online.

See all annual reports from AWID

2011: The fifth High-level dialogue kick starts Post-2015 discussions

The Fifth High- Level Dialogue on Financing for Development, 7 – 8 December 2011, marked the beginning of the Post 2015 development agenda discussions, and the link to financing for development. The conference gave a special focus to increasing aid to finance the MDG’s. In his closing remarks, the Secretary General called on members to begin to consider the post-2015 development framework. 

I am not able to submit a written proposal, are you accepting any other formats?

As part of our commitment to accessibility in all aspects of the AWID Forum we are accepting audio/video formats for those individuals/organizations/groups who can't submit a written application. 

If you choose to send your proposal in an audio/video format, kindly follow the same order to answer the questions as detailed in the Activity Proposal Form.

To submit an audio/video file please Contact us, selecting Forum Call for Activities as the subject of your email.

Contact us

Why did AWID decide to change the Forum location from Bali to Taipei?

Events in Indonesia, in late 2019 - in particular, signs of intensifying militarization and backlash against LGBTQ rights - led us to question AWID’s ability to maintain a reasonably safe and welcoming environment for the diversity of participants we aspire to bring together at the Forum.

After careful consideration the AWID Board of Directors decided to change the venue for the 14th International AWID Forum, in November 2019 from Bali to Taipei.

Taipei offers  a strong degree of logistical capacities, and is accessible for many travellers (with a facilitated e-visa process for international conferences).  

For more details:

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Where is the Money for Feminist Organizing? Survey Results

Thanks to our global feminist community! From May to August 2024, nearly 1,200 organizations working for Women's rights, gender justice, and LBTQI+ equality shared their experiences in the WITM survey. The results offer a unique picture of how feminist movements are resourced and where gaps remain.

Stay tuned for the upcoming report for more analysis!
 

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Apreciaremos propuestas de actividades referidas a todo el rango de áreas temáticas e intersecciones que son importantes para los movimientos feministas y por la justicia de género. 

Proponer tu actividad

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Annual Report 2011

In order to achieve our mission, AWID works through multi-year interconnected programs which encompass a variety of strategies including knowledge production and dissemination, action-research, advocacy, alliance building, and convening strategic dialogues. 

Our 2011 Annual Report provides key highlights of our work during the year to contribute to the advancement of women’s rights and gender equality worldwide.

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انطلاقًا من روح موضوع المنتدى، ندعو إلى التقديم على مجموعة متنوعة من الموضوعات وأشكالها التي:

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AWID EN 2015: Construyendo impacto colectivo

En 2015, AWID creció y se diversificó.

Intensificamos los preparativos para el 13º Foro Internacional de AWID, pusimos mucha energía en los procesos de la Agenda 2030 y del financiamiento para el desarrollo, y hemos continuado nuestro trabajo diario y central en nuestras áreas prioritarias


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El contexto

  • Continuamos observando un rápido quiebre de la democracia y las instituciones democráticas, así como una reducción de los espacios para el disenso.
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  • La violencia contra las defensoras de derechos humanos continúa siendo un problema urgente.
  • Los fundamentalismos religiosos son omnipresentes y tienen un poder cada vez mayor.
  • Han surgido nuevas formas de violencia de género en línea.

En respuesta a esto, estamos saliendo de nuestros compartimentos estancos.

En todo el mundo, los movimientos por los derechos de las mujeres y otros movimientos están logrando articular cada vez más la naturaleza sistémica e interseccional de estos problemas y de muchos otros.


Nuestro impacto

  • Para poser trazar esrategias y hacer incidencia de manera efectiva, necesitamos datos
  • Para intercambiar conocimiento y darnos las manos en solidaridad, necesitamos una comunidad virtual fuerte
  • Para construir nuestro poder colectivo, necesitamos trabajar juntxs
  • Para influir sobre procesos internacionales, necesitamos acrecentar nuestro acceso y nuestras voces
  • Para reposicionar el poder necesitamos dar visibilidad y énfasis al importante rol que ya están desempeñando los movimientos feministas y de derechos de las mujeres

Nuestrxs afiliadxs


Lee el informe completo

 

 

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Co-creando un hogar político para los movimientos feministas

Del 27 - 30 April, 2026, AWID estará en la Conferencia Women Deliver 2026, co-creando un hogar político con movimientos feministas y de justicia de género basado en el cuidado y la solidaridad transnacional.

En un momento en que el fascismo y la militarización continúan en aumento a nivel global, la conexión feminista y la solidaridad a través de las fronteras es lo que realmente necesitamos. Estamos organizando múltiples espacios en Women Deliver y en línea para conectar movimientos entre sí en conversaciones para construir agendas feministas de solidaridad y acción.

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A los seis años, me enteré de que mi abuelo tenía una sala de cine. Mi madre me contó que la había abierto a principios de la década de 1960, cuando ella también tenía unos seis años. Recordaba que la primera noche proyectaron La novicia rebelde / Sonrisas y lágrimas...

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