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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

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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

Type

2005: le second Dialogue de haut niveau a lieu

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Second Dialogue de haut niveau sur le financement du développement

  • Organisé les 27 et 28 juin 2015, le second Dialogue de haut niveau sur le financement du développement,  avait pour thème Le Consensus de Monterrey : état de la mise en œuvre et responsabilités futures.
  • Outre les six traditionnelles tables rondes portant   sur chacun des chapitres du Consensus de Monterrey, un dialogue interactif officieux a été instauré entre différentes parties prenantes, parmi lesquelles des groupes de défense des droits des femmes.
  • Les nations « en développement » ont lancé un appel à prendre en compte les défis mondiaux aussi bien que les possibilités et besoins locaux dans les interactions avec les différents groupes sociaux ­–notamment les femmes, les jeunes, les personnes handicapées, etc. – sur les thèmes identifiés dans le Consensus de Monterrey. 

O meu idioma não é um dos oficiais do inquérito, e estou a ter dificuldades a preencher o mesmo. O que posso fazer?

A AWID compromete-se a alcançar a justiça linguística e lamentamos que, neste momento, não seja viável disponibilizar um inquérito do WITM em mais idiomas. No entanto, caso precise de apoio com traduções ou queira preencher o inquérito em qualquer outro idioma, entre em contacto connosco através de witm@awid.org.

Carmen de la Cruz

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Category
Economic, Social and Cultural Rights
Region
Latin America
Cause of death / disappearance

Disease

Carmen had a long career advocating for women’s rights both in NGOs and within the United Nations (UN) system.  

She taught courses in several Spanish and Latin American universities, and published numerous articles and reports on women, gender and peace in developing countries.

Her writing and critical reflections have impacted a whole generation of young women. In her last years, she was responsible for the Gender Practice Area in the Regional Center of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) for Latin America, from where she supported very valuable initiatives in favour of gender equality and women's human rights.

 

Carmen de la Cruz, Argentina/ Spain

Snippet FEA Sopo Japaridze (FR)

Nous avons le plaisir de vous présenter Sopo Japaridze, féministe féroce, dirigeante syndicale et présidente du syndicat de service indépendant Réseau de Solidarité.

Elle a quitté le pays très jeune pour les États-Unis, où elle est devenue politiquement active en tant qu'organisatrice syndicale. Elle a toujours gardé la Géorgie à l'esprit pendant tout ce temps, jusqu'au jour où, 20 ans plus tard, elle a décidé de revenir.

La confédération syndicale géorgienne existante à cette époque était loin d'être idéale. C’est pourquoi, armée de ses compétences, de ses connaissances et de son expérience en matière de syndicalisation, Sopo est retournée en Géorgie et a formé son propre syndicat.

Elle est aussi une chercheuse passionnée et une écrivaine. Elle étudie les relations de travail et les relations sociales, écrit pour diverses publications et est co-éditrice de Left East, une plate-forme analytique d'Europe de l'Est. Elle a également cofondé l'initiative et le podcast d'histoire politique, Réimaginer la Géorgie Soviétique, où elle explore les complexités et les nuances des expériences du pays sous l'Union soviétique, pour mieux comprendre son passé et construire un avenir meilleur.

Reason to join 4

Voyez grand ! Notre rayonnement international nous permet de combiner notre travail analytique avec des outils politiques et pratiques de plaidoyer et de transformation afin de faire avancer la cause des mouvements féministes à tous les niveaux.

2013: The sixth High-level Dialogue reviews progress of MDGs

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The Sixth High-level Dialogue on Financing for Development, 7-8 October 2013 focused on reviewing the progress of MDG’s, and identifying gaps to be addressed in discussions on the new development framework.

A report by the MDG’s Gap Task Force launched during the session pointed to the failure to meet MDG 8 (Global Partnership for Development) as a major factor in the challenges to meeting the MDGs. The report showed that more focus should be given to developing stronger global partnerships that would ensure binding commitments for the new development framework post 2015. 

لم تتلق مجموعتنا التمويل بشكل متواصل بين الأعوام 2021-2023. هل علينا تعبئة الاستطلاع؟

نعم. نريد السماع منكم/ن دون أي علاقة ان حصلتم/ن على تمويل لثلاثة أعوام أو عامين أو عام واحد في السنوات 2021-2023.

Efua Dorkenoo

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Category
Derechos sexuales y reproductivos
Region
África
África Subsahariana
Cause of death / disappearance

Natural

Conocida afectuosamente como «Mama Efua», su trabajo con el movimiento para terminar con la mutilación genital femenina (MGF) se extendió a lo largo de tres décadas y ayudó a llamar la atención internacional y a generar acciones para erradicar esta práctica dañina.

En 1983, Efua fue una de las fundadoras de FORWARD (The Foundation for Women’s Health, Research and Development, La fundación para la salud de las mujeres, la investigación y el desarrollo), que se convirtió en una organización líder en la batalla por crear conciencia sobre la MGF. Su libro de 1994, Cortar la rosa: mutilación genital femenina, es considerado el primer libro sobre MGF y aparece en la lista de «Los 100 mejores libros africanos del siglo XX» de la Universidad de Columbia.

Originaria de Ghana y enfermera de profesión, Efua se incorporó a la Organización Mundial de la Salud (OMS) en 1995 y con empeño logró la inclusión de la MGF en las agendas de los Estados miembros de la OMS. También trabajó estrechamente con el Gobierno nigeriano en la elaboración de una política nacional integral que sentó las bases para las leyes contra la MGF de Nigeria, que todavía están vigentes. Su trabajo pionero culminó en una campaña liderada por África, «La generación de las niñas», dedicada a terminar con la MGF en el plazo de una generación.

Efua demostró que una persona puede convertirse en una voz unificadora para un movimiento y ahora resultan más relevantes que nunca sus sabias palabras: «la identidad compartida puede ayudar a reunir a activistas que vienen de contextos diferentes y a que tengan un sentido de propósito en común».

 

Efua Dorkenoo, Ghana

Snippet FEA Union Otras (EN)

UNION OTRAS

The Sex Workers' Trade Union Organisation (Organización de Trabajo Sexual, OTRAS) is the first union of sex workers in the history of Spain. It was born out of the need to ensure social, legal and political rights for sex workers in a country where far-right movements are on the rise.

After years of struggles against the Spanish legal system and anti-sex workers groups who petitioned to shut it down, OTRAS finally obtained its legal status as a union in 2021.

Its goal? To decriminalize sex work and to ensure decent working conditions and environments for all sex workers.

The union represents over 600 professional sex workers, many of whom are migrant, trans, queer and gender-diverse.

Our values - bodily autonomy

Bodily autonomy, integrity and freedoms<

We celebrate everyone's right to choose their identities, relationships, goals, work, dreams and pleasures, and what they do with their mind, body and spirit. We believe in working towards access to resources, information and safe and enabling environments that allow this to happen.

Mayo 2015: tienen lugar las consultas sobre el Borrador del Documento Final

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Sesiones adicionales de consulta sobre el Borrador del Documento Final

  • El 7 de mayo, los facilitadores dieron a conocer la versión revisada del Documento Final de la tercera Conferencia Internacional sobre la FpD a realizarse en Adís Abeba.
  • A fin de continuar avanzando hacia el Documento Final hubo sesiones adicionales para realizar consultas en torno al mismo los días 12 al 15 y 26 al 29 de mayo de 2015 en la sede de la ONU en Nueva York.

Я не хочу делиться названием организации и контактной информацией с AWID – могу ли я пройти опрос?

Безусловно, эти вопросы являются необязательными, мы ценим ваше право сохранять конфиденциальность. Пожалуйста, заполните опрос независимо от того, указываете вы название вашей группы, организации и/или движения и контактные данные или нет.

Zita Kavungirwa Kayange

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Category
Droits civils et politiques
Region
Afrique
Afrique subsaharienne

Zita était une défenseure des droits des femmes de la région du Grand Kivu.

Elle a été la première directrice exécutive d’UWAKI, une organisation de femmes bien connue. Par son travail avec le Réseau des Femmes pour la Défense des Droits et la Paix (RFDP) et le Caucus des femmes du Sud-Kivu pour la paix, elle a consacré sa vie à rétablir la paix dans l'est de la RDC. Elle a très fermement dénoncé l'utilisation de la violence sexuelle comme arme de guerre.

En 2006, elle s'est présentée comme candidate aux premières élections démocratiques en RDC. Bien qu’elle n’ait pas gagné, elle a continué à défendre les droits des femmes et la communauté du Sud-Kivu se souvient d’elle avec affection.

 

Zita Kavungirwa Kayange, Republic Democratic of Congo

Snippet FEA Union Otras Photo 4 (ES)

Foto de un grupo de personas protestando de noche.

Membership why page - Angelina Mootoo quote

Al unirme a AWID, espero poder ayudar a la movilización del movimiento feminista. No solo para las mujeres privilegiadas, sino para TODAS las mujeres y activistas feministas.- Angelina Mootoo, feminista interseccional y caribeña, Guyana/EEUU

Comment participer ?

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D'autres liens importants :

Quando é que os resultados do inquérito estarão disponíveis?

Iremos analisar as respostas ao inquérito para obter informações e tendências, e iremos apresentar os resultados durante o 15.º Fórum Internacional da AWID em Bangkok, e online em dezembro de 2024. Registe-se para participar no Fórum aqui!