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
Inna Michaeli
Inna is a feminist queer activist and sociologist with many years of deep engagement in feminist and LGBTQI+ struggles, political education and organizing by and for migrant women, and Palestine liberation and solidarity. She joined AWID in 2016 and served in different roles, most recently as Director of Programs. She is based in Berlin, Germany, grew up in Haifa, Palestine/Israel, was born in St. Petersburg, Russia, and carries these political geographies and resistance to colonial past and present into her feminism and transnational solidarity.
Inna is the author of “Women's Economic Empowerment: Feminism, Neoliberalism, and the State” (Palgrave Macmillan, 2022), based on the dissertation which earned her a doctoral degree from the Humboldt University of Berlin. As an academic, she taught courses on globalization, knowledge production, identity and belonging. Inna holds an MA in Cultural Studies from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. She is a Board Member of the Jewish Voice for a Just Peace in the Middle East (Germany), and previously of +972 Advancement of Citizen Journalism. Previously Inna worked with the Coalition of Women for Peace and she is passionate about mobilizing resources for grassroots activism.
Snippet FEA NSS has a vision of an Africa (ES)
“Nous Sommes la Solution tiene una visión de una África donde, en solidaridad, las mujeres rurales involucradas en la toma de decisiones puedan cultivar, procesar, vender y consumir productos de la agricultura familiar preservando el medio ambiente, para un desarrollo sostenible, armonioso y duradero”.
¿Puedo acceder a la encuesta y responderla desde el teléfono?
Sí, es posible acceder a la encuesta mediante un teléfono inteligente.
Faith Kandaba
Struggling for Human Rights, Facing Injustice across LAC
This year we are honoring 19 Women Human Rights Defenders from the Latin America and the Caribbean region. 16 defenders were murdered, including 6 journalists and 4 LGBTQI rights defenders. Please join us in commemorating the life and work of these women by sharing the memes below with your colleagues, friends and networks and by tweeting using the hashtags #WHRDTribute and #16Days.
Please click on each image below to see a larger version and download as a file


















Margo Okazawa-Rey
Dr. Margo Okazawa-Rey ocupa la Cátedra Distinguida Barbara Lee en Liderazgo de Mujeres y es Profesora visitante de Estudios de Mujeres, Género y Sexualidad, y de Políticas Públicas en Mills College, en Oakland, California. También es Profesora Emérita en la Universidad Estatal de San Francisco.
Sus principales áreas de investigación y activismo durante los últimos 25 años han sido el militarismo, los conflictos armados y la violencia contra las mujeres, examinados de manera interseccional. La profesora Okazawa-Rey participa en el Consejo Consultivo Internacional de Du Re Bang en Uijongbu, Corea del Sur; en la Junta Internacional de Mujeres de Paz en el Mundo (PeaceWomen Across the Globe) en Berna, Suiza; y es co-presidente de la Junta del Centro Highlander para la Investigación y Educación en New Market, Tennessee, EE. UU.
Sus publicaciones recientes incluyen “Nation-izing” Coalition and Solidarity Politics for US Anti-militarist Feminists [«Coalición “nacio-nalizadora” y políticas de solidaridad para las feministas antimilitaristas de EE. UU.»], en prensa; “No Freedom without Connections: Envisioning Sustainable Feminist Solidarities” [«No hay libertad sin conexiones: contemplando solidaridad feminista sostenible»] (2018) in Feminist Freedom Warriors: Genealogies, Justice, Politics, and Hope [«Guerreras feministas por la libertad: genealogías, justicia, política y esperanza»], Chandra Talpade Mohanty and Linda Carty (eds.); Between a Rock and Hard Place: Southeast Asian Women Confront Extractivism, Militarism, and Religious Fundamentalisms [«Entre la espada y la pared: Las mujeres del sudeste asiático enfrentan el extractivismo, el militarismo y los fundamentalismos religiosos»] (2018); “Liberal Arts Colleges Partnering with Highlander Research and Education Center: Intergenerational Learning for Student Campus Activism and Personal Transformation,” Feminist Formations Special Issue on Feminist Social Justice Pedagogy (2018) [«Las universidades de artes liberales se asocian con el Centro Highlander para la Investigación y Educación: aprendizaje intergeneracional para el activismo estudiantil y la transformación personal», número especial de Formaciones Feministas sobre pedagogía de la justicia social feminista]
Rohini Ghadiok
Snippet FEA Objectives NSS - Traditional Knowledge (FR)
LES SAVOIRS TRADITIONNELS

Aurai-je l’occasion de faire part de mon opinion sur des questions qui ne sont pas incluses dans l’enquête?
Oui, nous vous invitons à détailler des points importants pour vous en répondant à la ou aux questions ouvertes à la fin de l’enquête.
Leidiane Drosdoski Machado
Les défenseuses du Pacifique
Les trois défenseuses des droits humains de la région Pacifique auxquelles nous rendons hommage cette année ont travaillé dans les médias, fait campagne pour les droits des personnes handicapées ou plaidé en faveur des droits des femmes. Leur contribution restera irremplaçable et nous leur rendons honneur. Nous vous invitons à vous joindre à nous pour commémorer la vie de ces femmes, leur travail et l’héritage qu’elles nous ont laissé. Faites circuler ces mèmes auprès de vos collègues et amis ainsi que dans vos réseaux et twittez en utilisant les hashtags #WHRDTribute et #16Jours.
S'il vous plaît cliquez sur chaque image ci-dessous pour voir une version plus grande et pour télécharger comme un fichier


Claudia Montserrat Arévalo Alvarado
Claudia est Professeure en Egalité et équité pour le développement, psychologue féministe, activiste en faveur de la défense des droits humains depuis 30 ans et des droits des femmes depuis 24 ans.
Claudia, qui travaille au Salvador, est co-fondatrice et directrice générale de l’association Mujeres Transformando, et défend depuis 16 ans les droits du travail des travailleuses du secteur des maquiladoras textiles et de l’habillement. Elle a collaboré à la formulation d’initiatives législatives, à des propositions de politiques publiques et de recherches visant à améliorer la qualité de l’emploi pour les femmes travaillant dans ce secteur, en plus de travailler sans relâche au renforcement de l’organisation et de l’autonomisation des ouvrières des maquiladoras textiles et des couturières à domicile.
Elle participe activement à des actions de plaidoyer à l’échelle nationale, régionale et internationale pour la défense et la revendication des droits du travail de la classe ouvrière du Sud mondial d’un point de vue féministe, anticapitaliste, anti-patriarcal et dans une perspective de prise de conscience de la classe et du genre. Elle fait partie du Conseil d'administration de l'Initiative Spotlight et du Groupe national de référence de cette dernière. Elle fait également partie du Groupe consultatif de la société civile de l'ONU Femmes.
Zaitun Kasim
Is my participation confidential?
Absolutely. Your responses will be deleted at the end of data processing and analysis, and used for research purposes only. Data will NEVER be shared outside of AWID and will be only processed by AWID staff and consultants working on the WITM project. We prioritize your privacy and security. Our detailed privacy policy is available here.
Maria da Lurdes Fernandes Silva
Kit nas redes sociais sobre o Fórum AWID

Ajude a divulgar o Fórum AWID 2016!
Este kit inclui mensagens modelo apropriadas para Twitter, Facebook e LinkedIn, além de imagens que podem ser usadas para acompanhar essas mensagens.
Este kit é muito simples de usar. Basta seguir estes passos para:
Pronto – agora você já pode começar!
Combine estas mensagens com as imagens para Twitter
Tweets para seu uso pessoal
Eu vou para o #AWIDForum. O lugar para conectar com movimentos de direitos das mulheres & justiça social. Vamos!: http://forum.awid.org/forum16/pt-br
Contando os dias para re-imaginar #FuturosFeministas com outr@s ativistas por direitos das mulheres & justiça social @ #AWIDForum! Participe: http://forum.awid.org/forum16/pt-br
Estou muito animada/o para participar do #AWIDForum em Maio, e agora já podemos nosinscrever! Vamos! http://forum.awid.org/forum16/pt-br
Tweets para seu uso institucional
As inscrições já estão abertas para o #AWIDForum! Costa do Sauípe, Brasil, 8 de 11 set. de 2016 http://forum.awid.org/forum16/pt-br
Participe do #AWIDForum, um encontro histórico entre ativistas de todo o mundo em defesa dos direitos das mulheres & justiça social http://forum.awid.org/forum16/pt-br
Participe do #AWIDForum para comemorar as conquistas dos movimentos sociais & analisar aprendizados para seguir em frente http://forum.awid.org/forum16/pt-br
#AWIDForum – mais que um evento, uma chance de romper com a opressão & avançar a justiça http://forum.awid.org/forum16/pt-br
Participe do #AWIDForum para comemorar, traçar estratégias, revigorar os movimentos sociais e a nós mesm@s http://forum.awid.org/forum16/pt-br
Futuros Feministas
Vamos construir #FuturosFeministas junt@s. Inscreva-se no #AWIDForum 2016. Costa do Sauípe, Brasil http://forum.awid.org/forum16/pt-br
Una-se a nós para re-imaginar & co-criar #FuturosFeministas no #AWIDForum 2016. Inscreva-se http://forum.awid.org/forum16/pt-br
#FuturosFeministas: aproveite o momento @ #AWIDForum para avançar visões compartilhadas por um mundo mais justo http://forum.awid.org/forum16/pt-br
Seremos 2.000 ativistas de movimentos sociais @ #AWIDForum, traçando estratégias para nossos #FuturosFeministas http://forum.awid.org/forum16/pt-br
Construção de movimentos transversais
Nós somos mais do que uma luta por uma só bandeira. Una-se a nós no #AWIDForum http://forum.awid.org/forum16/pt-br
Participe do #AWIDForum, um espaço para criar estratégias entre movimentos sociais & alavancar o nosso poder coletivo http://forum.awid.org/forum16/pt-br
Mobilize solidariedade & poder coletivo entre movimentos sociais no #AWIDForum http://forum.awid.org/forum16/pt-br
Romperas barreiras entre os movimentos sociais. Re-imaginar & co-criar nossos futuros. Tudo isso no #AWIDForum http://forum.awid.org/forum16/pt-br
Solidariedade é um verbo. Vamos colocá-lo em ação no #AWIDForum http://forum.awid.org/forum16/pt-br
Mensagens especiais
Doadores engajados com os direitos das mulheres e movimentos sociais no #AWIDForum: http://forum.awid.org/forum16/pt-br
Mídia e movimentos sociais: amplificando #FuturosFeministas no #AWIDForum: http://forum.awid.org/forum16/pt-br
Combine estas mensagens com as imagens para Facebook
Nota: estas mensagens também podem ser usadas no Twitter via Mensagens Diretas privadas, que não têm limite de caracteres. Você pode compartilhar as imagens preparadas e adicionar estas mensagens modelo.
Mensagens para seu perfil pessoal
A espera acabou! já podemos nos inscrever no Fórum AWID 2016. Será maravilhoso reconectar com companheiras/os ativistas e re-imaginar nossos futuros feministas. Vejo vocês lá em Sauípe! http://forum.awid.org/forum16/pt-br
Estou muito animada/o para participar do Fórum AWID em Maio, e agora já podemos nosinscrever! Vamos! http://forum.awid.org/forum16/pt-br
Estou curtindo a ideia de re-imaginar futuros feministas com 2.000 pessoas de inúmeros movimentos incríveis de direitos das mulheres e justiça social no Fórum AWID. Inscreva-se e a gente se vê por lá! http://forum.awid.org/forum16/pt-br
Mensagens para a página da sua organização
As inscrições já estão abertas para o Fórum AWID 2016 na Costa do Sauípe, Bahia! Este não é apenas qualquer evento – é um espaço único para ativistas em defesa dos direitos das mulheres e justiça social de todo o mundo se encontrarem e re-imaginarem nossos futuros feministas. Você não vai querer perder! http://forum.awid.org/forum16/pt-br
Una-se a nós no Fórum AWID 2016 na Bahia! Ativistas e movimentos de todo o mundo irão se encontrar para comemorar, criar estratégias, inspirar e renovar nossas lutas coletivas e a nós mesm@s. Inscreva-se agora! http://forum.awid.org/forum16/pt-br
O Fórum AWID 2016 será um encontro histórico entre ativistas de todo o mundo por direitos das mulheres & justiça social. Una-se a nós lá para romper as barreiras, fortalecer a solidariedade e alavancar nosso poder coletivo. Inscreva-se agora! http://forum.awid.org/forum16/pt-br
O Fórum AWID 2016 será um encontro histórico entre ativistas de todo o mundo em defesa direitos das mulheres & justiça social. Una-se a nós lá para romper as barreiras, fortalecer a solidariedade e alavancar nosso poder coletivo. Inscreva-se agora! http://forum.awid.org/forum16/pt-br
Download das suas imagens favoritas
Michelle D'Cruz
Michelle is a Southeast Asian feminist who enjoys conspiring to bring people together and spark conversations for social change and feminist knowledge sharing, through art, poetry, music and games. With a background in digital advocacy and communications strategy development, she has contributed to initiatives in digital rights, human rights research, and civil society coalition building throughout Southeast Asia. She has an LLB from National University of Singapore, enjoys following her feet down random city streets and likes coffee a little too much.