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.
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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.
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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;
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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:
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Mobilizing urgent responses of international solidarity for WHRDs at risk through our international and regional networks, and our active membership.
Related Content
Rapport Annuel 2010

Notre rapport annuel 2010 souligne nos réalisations et l’impact de notre travail durant l'année.
Vous pouvez lire comment nous traduisons notre vision et mission en stratégies et en activités entreprises en collaboration avec les membres, partenaires et allié-e-s de l’AWID pour faire la promotion des droits des femmes et de l’égalité de genre à l’échelle mondiale.
Ce rapport comprend égalment des liens vers nos dernières publications.
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Manal Tamimi est une activiste palestinienne et une défenseuse des droits humains. Mère de quatre enfants, elle est titulaire d’une maîtrise en droit international humanitaire. Son activisme lui a valu d’être arrêtée trois fois et d’être blessée à plusieurs reprises, notamment avec des balles explosives réelles qui sont interdites sur le plan international. Sa famille est elle aussi prise pour cible : ses enfants ont été arrêtés et blessés à balles réelles plus d’une fois. Le dernier incident dont elle a été victime était une tentative d’assassinat contre son fils Muhammad, qui a reçu une balle dans la poitrine, près du cœur, quelques semaines après sa libération des prisons d’occupation où il avait passé deux ans. Sa philosophie de vie : « si on va me faire payer parce que je suis palestinienne et non parce que j’ai commis un crime, je refuse de mourir en silence ».
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Qui devrait participer à cette enquête?
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How do you define external funding?
External funding includes grants and other forms of funding from philanthropic foundations, governments, bilateral, multilateral or corporate funders and individual donors – from both within your country or abroad. It excludes resources that groups, organizations and/or movements generate autonomously such as, for example, membership fees, the voluntary contributions of staff, members and/or supporters, community fundraisers, venue hires or sale of services. For ease and clarity, definitions of the different types of funding as well as short descriptions of different donors are included in the survey.
Priscilla Hon
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El Nemrah | Snippet EN

El Nemrah
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El mío no es ninguno de los idiomas oficiales de la encuesta y me cuesta mucho responderla, ¿qué puedo hacer?
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Si lxs presentadorxs utilizan una lengua de señas que no es el ISL, ¿habrá interpretación en otras lenguas de señas?
Si tu actividad es seleccionada, el equipo de AWID te contactará para evaluar y responder a tus necesidades de interpretación y accesibilidad.