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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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Mensaje de Bienvenida

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"Estamos utilizando las herramientas que tenemos para compartir nuestra resistencia, nuestras estrategias y continuar edificando nuestro poder para actuar y crear nuevos mundos valientes y justos"

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Espaces féministes caribéens, expressions créatives et pratiques spirituelles pour le renforcement communautaire

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Angelique V. Nixon, CAISO

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¿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

Snippet Festival Days 8-13_Fest (EN)

Day, jour, día 8 festival - Sept. 16, 2021
Panel
Body Pleasure for Fat Girls 

Amy Lin

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Workshop
Broadening Pleasure

Hedone

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Workshop
#EmptyChairs campaign

Caroline Tagny, Coalition of African Lesbians
Carrie Shelver, Sexual Rights Initiative
Emeline Dupuis, Sexual Rights Initiative
Pooja Badarinath, Sexual Rights Initiative
Pooja Patel, International Service for Human Rights
Antje Schupp


Workshop
Feminist Realities:
Breathing & Healing Houses for Defenders

Ana María Hernández Cárdenas, Consorcio Oaxaca
Nallely Tello Méndez, Red Nacional de Defensoras de Derechos Humanos en México
Jelena Dordevic Liana Funes, National Network of Women Human Rights Defenders in Honduras
Rebeca Girón
Tania Lopes Muri, Movimento de Mulheres da Região dos Lagos
Rogéria Peixinho


Fem Movement
Members Dance Party Extravaganza

DJ Cozmic Cat


Day, jour, día 9 festival - Sept. 17, 2021
Storytelling
Unfettered Education:
Fatoumata's Story

Lina Baaziz

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Instagram Live:

Sex Education

Oloricoitus

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Workshop
Voices from the frontlines:
Bolstering collective power to end the incarceration of women worldwide
 

Claudia A. Cardona, Mujeres Libres Colombia
Phyllis Hardy, National Council for Incarcerated and Formerly Incarcerated Women and Girls
Grace Natalia, Womxn’s Voice and Women and Harm Reduction International Network
Mónica Marginet Flinch, Metzineres
Kenya Cuevas, Casa de las Muñecas Tiresias A.C.
Dawn Harrington, Free Hearts

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Workshop
Movement as Healing,
Healing for Movements


Kimalee Phillip
Luz Stella Uspina Murillo, Fondo Acción Urgente para América Latina y el Caribe
Sara Munarriz-Awad, Fondo Acción Urgente para América Latina y el Caribe
Tai Pelli
Everdith (Evie) Landrau


Workshop
Emergent feminist leadership:
Lifting as we climb

Deborah A, Black LGBTQ Migrant Project (BLMP)
Anima Adjepong, Silent Majority
Maame Adwoa Marfo, FRIDA
Debbie Owusu-Akyeeah, Canadian Centre for Gender and Sexual Diversity


Day, jour, día 10 festival
Panel
Pleasure Across Borders

Lindiwe Rasekoala
Lizzie Kiama
Jovana Drodevic
Malaka Grant

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Panel
Abortion realities:
strategies to fight reproductive injustice

Lindiwe Rasekoala
Lizzie Kiama
Jovana Drodevic
Malaka Grant


Day, jour, día 11, festival
Workshop
Networking and Solidarity Building Among Young Feminist Organizers

Nino Ugrekhelidze, AWID
Anwulika Ngozi
Okonjo Pooja Singh


Panel
Surviving the war on drugs

Ganna Dovbakh, Eurasian Harm Reduction Association (EHRA)
Priscila Gadelha, Rede Nacional de Feministas Antiproibicionistas (RENFA)
Veronica Russo, Red Latinoamericana y del Caribe de Personas que Usan Drogas (LANPUD)
Diana Edem, Heartland Alliance International
Judy Chang, International Network of People who Use Drugs (INPUD)
Louise Vincent, NC Urban Survivors Union
Aura Roig, Metzineres
Malicia, Live Artist

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Panel
Young Climate Feminists Building Radical Futures:
Video Launch and Conversation

Sanam Amin, Asia Pacific Forum on Women, Law and Development
Maggie Mapondera, Womin African Alliance
Maria Alejandra Escalente, FRIDA
Patricia Miranda Wattimena, Asia Indigenous Peoples Pact
Mara Dolan, WEDO
Andrea Vega Troncoso, WEDO

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Workshop
Antal: Non-binary Universe

Malicia Sabina, Resistencia No Binarix
Andras Yareth Hernández, Resistencia No Binarix

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Day, jour, día 12, festival
Panel
Thank you, I can make my decision

Grace Chang, Taiwan Association for Disability Rights
Angel Hsu, Taiwan Association for Disability Rights
Joyann Peng, Taiwan Association for Disability Rights
Amy Wu, Taiwan Association for Disability Rights

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Panel
Feminist learnings on digital security in times of socio political and sanitary crisis

Paul Nail Ojeda
Paola Moss


Workshop
The current state of forests:
what’s the issue and why is it so important?

Camila Romero, VientoSur
Kanta Marathe, Navrachna Samaj Sevi Sansthan
Jeanette Sequeira, Global Forest Coalition

Download Resources  Descargar Recursos  Télécharger Les Ressourceses

Visit the AWID Members Lounge

Jessica Whitbread, AWID


Day, jour, día 13 festival
Workshop
Supporting the self-managed:
abortion doulas, acompanantes and radical networks of support

Aditi Pinto, Inroads
Daniela Tellez Del Valle, Di RAMONA
Sandra Cardona, Necesito Abortar México
Mickreen Adhiambo, Aunty Jane Hotline and MAMA Network
Zachi Brewster, Dopo Abortion Support
Ika Ayi, Samsara

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Workshop
Young Feminist Skill-Share:
How to Fund Your Idea

Nino Ugrekhelidze, AWID
Cassie Denbow
Nida Mushtaq


"Yo Imposible"
Watch Party & Discussion with Latin American Filmmakers from AWID's Feminist Film Club

Alejandra Laprea
Patricia Ortega
Alejandra Henriquez
Maria Torrellas
Carolina Reynoso
Camila Rodó
Micol Mtzener
Giovana Garcia

ما هو منتدى جمعية حقوق المرأة في التنمية الدولي؟

كل ثلاث إلى أربع سنوات، تستضيف جمعية حقوق المرأة في التنمية حدثها الدولي الرئيسي. إنه أكبر حدث في العالم يركز بكل طاقته على الحركات النسوية والعدالة الجندرية بكل تنوعها. إنه تجمع عالمي للناشطين/ات النسويين/ات والحركات المتحالفة والباحثين/ات والممولين/ات وصانعي/ات السياسات. ويتنقل المنتدى بين مناطق وبلدان مختلفة في الجنوب العالمي.

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