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
去台北參加論壇需要簽證嗎?
您若持有下列國家的護照,可免簽入境台灣到台北參與論壇活動(請留意持免簽可停留的天數各國不同):
安道爾、澳大利亞、奧地利、比利時、保加利亞、汶萊、加拿大、智利、克羅埃西亞、賽普勒斯、捷克、丹麥、愛沙尼亞、 史瓦濟蘭、芬蘭、法國、德國、希臘、瓜地馬拉、海地、宏都拉斯、匈牙利、冰島、愛爾蘭、以色列、義大利、日本*、韓國、拉脫維亞、列支頓斯登、立陶宛、盧森堡、馬爾他、馬歇爾群島、摩納哥、荷蘭、紐西蘭、尼加拉瓜、挪威、帛琉、巴拉圭、菲律賓、波蘭、葡萄牙、羅馬尼亞、俄國、聖馬利諾、斯洛伐克、斯洛維尼亞、西班牙、瑞典、瑞士、吐瓦魯、英國、美國、梵蒂岡城國、貝里斯、多明尼加、馬來西亞、諾魯、聖克里斯多福及尼維斯、聖塔露西亞、聖文森和格瑞納丁、新加坡。
未持有上述國家護照的人士來台北須申請簽證。
請留意:
在您完成論壇註冊手續後,無論您國籍為何,應會收到與論壇參與相關的一組號碼,用於申請來台灣的電子簽證。
論譠開放報名的時間我們會另行通知。
¿Cuál es la finalidad de la encuesta ¿Dónde está el dinero?
El objetivo fundamental de la encuesta ¿Dónde está el dinero? es arrojar luz sobre la situación financiera de la diversidad de movimientos feministas, por los derechos de las mujeres, la justicia social, las personas LBTQI+ y demás movimientos aliados de todo el mundo y, sobre la base de dicha información, reforzar las razones fundadas para movilizar más y mejores fondos y transferir el poder a los movimientos feministas.
Snippet FEA What are the objectives (EN)
What are the Objectives of Nous Sommes la Solution?
From “WID” to “GAD” to Women’s Rights: The First Twenty Years of AWID

In 2002 AWID celebrated its 20th anniversary. Given the challenging political, economic and funding environment in which women's organizations must survive, a milestone such as this is worthy of recognition.
In the past two decades the geo-political landscape has been transformed and development theories have come and gone, but approaches to ensure women benefit from development processes have endured.
In its twenty-year history, AWID grew from a volunteer organization for U.S. "Women in Development" (WID) specialists to an international network striving to support proactive and strategic gender equality research, activism and policy dialogue.
On the occasion of its 20th anniversary, this paper charts not only the changes in AWID's organizational structure and goals but also the shifts in policy approaches to gender equality in a changing global environment, through the lens of a membership organization committed to improving the lives of women and girls everywhere.
Guadalupe Campanur Tapia
Guadalupe fue una activista ambiental comprometida en la lucha contra el crimen en Cherán, México.
En abril de 2011 ayudó a derrocar el gobierno local, y participó en patrullas locales de seguridad, que abarcaban los bosques municipales. Era unx de lxs líderes indígenas de Cherán que llamaban a la población a defender sus bosques contra la tala forestal ilegal y despiadada. Su trabajo en defensa de adultxs mayores, niñxs y trabajadorxs la convirtió en un ícono de su comunidad.
Fue asesinada en Chilchota, México, aproximadamente 30 kilómetros al norte de su ciudad natal de Cherán.
Zaitun Kasim
Est-ce que plusieurs personnes d’un même groupe peuvent répondre séparément aux questions de l’enquête WITM?
Non, nous souhaitons recevoir une seule participation par groupe.
Snippet FEA NSS uplifts and grows (ES)
Nous Sommes la Solution eleva y multiplica el liderazgo de las mujeres rurales que trabajan por soluciones realmente africanas para la soberanía alimentaria.
Mujeres indígenas por la defensa de los derechos
Estas defensoras lucharon por los derechos sobre la tierra, de las mujeres y de los pueblos indígenas; haciendo frente a las industrias extractivas, escribiendo poesía y promoviendo el amor. Una de ellas desapareció hace ya 19 años. Únete a nosotras para recordar y honrar a estas defensoras de derechos humanos, su trabajo y su legado, compartiendo los memes aquí incluidos; y tuiteando las etiquetas #WHRDTribute y #16Días.
Por favor, haz click en cada imagen de abajo para ver una versión más grande y para descargar como un archivo.





Winnie Madikizela- Mandela
Winnie a été décrite comme une « militante enflammée » qui a combattu le régime de l’apartheid en Afrique du Sud.
Son engagement lui a valu d’être emprisonnée et placée en cellule d’isolement de nombreuses fois.
Affectueusement surnommée Ma’Winnie, elle était connue pour être quelqu’un qui parlait ouvertement des défis auxquels les femmes noires étaient confrontées pendant et après l’apartheid et cela, après avoir elle-même subi ces brutalités en tant que mère, épouse et militante pendant la lutte. Elle a su transcender l'idée couramment répandue selon laquelle le leadership est fondé sur le genre, la classe ou la race. Bien qu’étant une personnalité controversée, elle était connue par son nom xhosa, « Nomzamo », qui signifie « celle qui supporte les épreuves ».
Ma’Winnie continue d’être une source d’inspiration pour de nombreuses personnes, en particulier des jeunes femmes sud-africaines.
Sa mort a impulsé la naissance d’un mouvement qui a pour mantra : « Elle n’est pas morte, elle s’est multipliée ».
Ana Fabricia Cordóba Cabrera
Can I access and fill the survey from my phone?
Yes, the survey can be accessed using a smartphone.
Snippet FEA Avellaneda, Gran Buenos Aires (FR)
Avellaneda, Gran Buenos Aires, Argentina
Coopérative Textile Nadia Echazú
TISSAGE
DES VIES
Trans* rights require stronger protection
These transgender women were murdered because of their activism and their gender identity. There are insufficient laws recognizing trans* rights, and even where these laws exist, very little is being done to safeguard the rights of trans* people. Please join AWID in honoring these defenders, their activism and legacy by sharing the memes below with your colleagues, networks and friends and by using the hashtags #WHRDTribute and #16Days.
Please click on each image below to see a larger version and download as a file




Liliana Bodoc
Liliana was a teacher, a weaver, and a well recognized writer from Argentina.
Her trilogy La saga de los confines received several awards and is unique in the fantasy genre for its use and re-imagining of South American Indigenous mythology.
Liliana’s commitment to feminism was expressed in the diverse, rich and strong women voices in her writing, and particularly in her extensive work for young readers. She also took public positions in favour of abortion, economic justice and gender parity.