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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.

Related Content

WHRDs from Sub-Saharan Africa

In our 2015 Online Tribute to Women Human Rights Defenders No Longer With Us we are commemorating four women from Sub-Saharan Africa, three of whom were murdered due to their work and/or who they were in their gender identity and sexual orientation. Their deaths highlight the violence LGBT persons often face in the region and across the globe. Please join AWID in honoring these women, 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

 

What measures to protect public health and contain risks of Covid19 outbreak will be in place?

We are monitoring this and other risks carefully, and will publish comprehensive health and safety information when the registration opens, so you could make an informed decision. In addition, the hybrid format is designed to provide a meaningful engagement experience to the participants who will prefer not to travel or are not able to travel.

Nos droits en danger - OURs 2021 résumé

Nos droits en danger : il est temps d’agir

Un réseau complexe et mouvant d’acteur·rice·s antidroits exerce aujourd’hui une influence croissante dans les espaces internationaux et nationaux, ainsi qu’au niveau des politiques locales. Les antidroits pénètrent les espaces multilatéraux de collaboration entre pays, dans le but de les transformer et les saboter de l’intérieur. C’est en s’appropriant le langage des droits et de la justice pour travestir leurs véritables intentions qu’ils et elles parviennent à acquérir une certaine légitimité.

Ce rapport est le deuxième d’une série sur les droits humains, produite par l’Observatoire sur l’universalité des droits (OUR). Outre une analyse des principales parties antidroits, de leurs discours, stratégies et impacts, ce rapport inclut des nouvelles féministes pleines d’inspiration et des exercices de renforcement des connaissances qui nous permettront d’assurer notre résistance collective.

Lire le rapport 

Les conséquences sur nos droits sont déjà importantes, mais il est encore possible de réagir. Nous pouvons toutes et tous participer à la résistance face aux programmes antidroits et récupérer nos droits.

Rejoignez l’appel à l’action collective dès aujourd’hui!

Signer l’appel à l’action

هل ستكون هناك تدابير لتسهيل الوصول في المنتدى؟

باختصار، نعم! تعمل جمعية حقوق المرأة في التنمية حاليًا مع لجنة إمكانية الوصول لضمان إمكانية الوصول إلى المنتدى قدر الإمكان. نحن نجري أيضًا تدقيقًا لإمكانية الوصول إلى مكان انعقاد المنتدى والفنادق المحيطة ووسائل النقل. ستكون المعلومات التفصيلية حول إمكانية الوصول في منتدى جمعية حقوق المرأة في التنمية متاحة في هذا القسم قبل فتح التسجيل. وفي الوقت نفسه، لأية أسئلة يرجى الاتصال بنا.

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Gauri Lankesh

Research methology

Over eight years, we did four global surveys and built a research methodology.

In 2013, we published three global reports. These reports confirm that women’s rights organizations are doing the heavy lifting to advance women’s rights and gender equality by using diverse, creative and long-term strategies, all while being underfunded.

Our 2010 global survey showed that the collective income of 740 women’s organizations around the world totaled only USD 104 million. Compare this with Greenpeace International, one organization with a 2010 budget of USD 310 million1. Imagine the impact these groups could have if they were able to access all the financial resources they need and more?

AWID’s WITM research has catalyzed increased funding for women’s rights organizing. WITM research was a driving force behind the Catapult crowdfunding platform, which has raised USD 6.5 million for women’s rights. The Dutch Government cited WITM research as a reason for its unprecedented MDG 3 Fund of EU 82 million. WITM research has also led to the creation of several new funds: FRIDA – The Young Feminist Fund, the Indigenous Women’s Fund, Fundo Elas, the Mediterranean Women’s Fund and the Rita Fund.

Funding trends analyses

While the WITM research has shed important light on the global funding landscape, AWID and partners have identified the need to dig deeper, to analyze funding trends by region, population and issue. In response, organizations are now using AWID’s WITM research methodology to do their own funding trends analyses. For example, in November 2013, Kosova Women’s Network and Alter Habitus – Institute for Studies in Society and Culture published Where is the Money for Women’s Rights? A Kosovo Case Study.

At the same time, AWID continues to collaborate with partners in Where is the Money for Indigenous Women’s Rights (with International Indigenous Women’s Forum and International Funders for Indigenous Peoples) and our upcoming Where is the Money for Women’s Rights in Brazil? (with Fundo Elas).

Several organizations have also conducted their own independent funding trends research, deepening their understanding of the funding landscape and politics behind it. For example, the South Asian Women’s Fund was inspired by AWID’s WITM research to conduct funding trends reports for each country in South Asia, as well as a regional overview. Other examples of research outside of AWID include the collaboration between Open Society Foundations, Mama Cash, and the Red Umbrella Fund to produce the report Funding for Sex Workers Rights, and the first-ever survey on trans* and intersex funding by Global Action for Trans* Equality and American Jewish World Service.


Diferentes personas de mi organización planean asistir al Foro. ¿Hay algún descuento para grupos en el Foro?

AWID no ofrece descuentos para grupos, pero sí ofrece descuentos en la inscripción a sus afiliadxs. (Haz clic aquí para obtener más información sobre cómo sumarte a la membresía)

ours chapter 6

Chapter 6
Anti-Rights Trends in Regional Human Rights Systems

In the African Commission and the Inter-American System, anti-rights actors push essentialist notions of culture and gender to hamper progress on rights and undermine accountability. As we see, anti-rights actors are exerting influence in regional human rights systems, as well as international spaces.

Read more

Snippet - CSW68 Intro _Es

Recuperar Nuestro Poder Feminista

Este año, junto con activistas feministas de todo el mundo, estaremos en la CSW68 en Nueva York .Estaremos presentes para desafiar las narrativas capitalistas y neoliberales y las falsas soluciones en torno a la pobreza, el desarrollo y la financiación. A través de eventos presenciales, transmisiones en vivo en nuestras redes sociales, un stand de exhibición y más. Nos presentamos para convocar, amplificar y apoyar las voces y la participación de nuestra membresía y aliades.

Conoce más sobre nuestro programa para este año a continuación.

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7. Synthesize your research findings

Now that you have analyzed all your data – from your survey, interviews, desk research and potentially other sources – you can create your final product.

In this section:

Create your final product

Your final product will be the document that will summarize, analyze and criticize your data. That will be the piece that you will share with your community to present and explain your research to your audience.

At AWID, we often write a comprehensive written report that analyzes each set of data and synthesizes all of our findings, then later create smaller products, such as infographics and summaries (explained in the subsequent section “Finalize and format”).

1. Write clearly

  • Organize your data as you would like to tell a story. You can follow the order of your survey. Or you can regroup some questions to lead to your conclusion in a smooth and progressive way.
  • Adapt your language to your audience. Use universal language and avoid jargon or too technical terms.

Importance of the editor

An editor will proofread, ensure concise writing, conduct fact-checking, point out inconsistencies that need to be resolved, arrange the flow of the document and possibly suggest titles.

Your editor should preferably be someone who understands and knows your WITM work but who was not directly involved in the research. This will bring in a fresh perspective.

2. Make it pretty

  • Use the data collected to create graphs and tables. These type of visuals are a compelling way to highlight the main findings of your research and validate your analysis.

  • Source relevant images that can illustrate your report.

  • Highlight key-numbers and/or powerful testimonials.

Remember: The more accessible your product is, the more people will want to read (and share!) it.

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Gather review & inputs

At this point, you have collected all your data, analyzed it and transformed it into your final product, likely in a long report.

1. Polish your results

Before moving on to the next steps – you should share your final research product with your advisor organizations, activists, and donors.

This is a great moment to check the following points:

  • Are there any key points missing in your analysis of the present funding landscape and trends?
  • Are there any key points missing in your conclusions?
  • Are there any inaccuracies in the data that need to be corrected?
  • General suggestions on strengthening the report to achieve your goals as listed in your research framing.

Once you have inputted all feedback from your advisors, be sure to run it by your editor once more.

This will now be the final, completed version of your report.  If you intend to publish the final report in other languages, now is the time to send it for translation.

2. Facilitate the feedback

  • Your advisors are likely busy with their regular responsibilities. Be sure to request feedback within a reasonable deadline.
  • Keep your request for feedback brief and specific, so it is easy for them to respond. If you like, you can simply copy and paste the bullet points we have provided.
  • If you are publishing in multiple languages, ensure you have advisors who can also review the final translated versions of your product(s).

This is a significant contribution from your advisors. Consider offering them some form of recognition.

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Previous step

6. Conduct desk research

Next step

8. Finalize and format


Estimated time:

• 2 - 5 months

People needed:

• 1 or more research person(s)
• 1 Editor (or web-editor if you create an online product)
• Translator(s), if done in more than one language

Resource needed:

• List of advisor organizations, activists, and donors.
• Concept note (from “Frame your research” section)
• Survey topline results
• Prepared interview questions
• Interview results
• Desk research data
• All other data used in report


Previous step

6. Conduct desk research

Next step

8. Finalize and format


Ready to Go? Worksheet

Download the toolkit in PDF

Je n’ai encore jamais voyagé. Que devrais-je savoir ?

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Llamado a la acción: ¡Basta de infiltración antiderechos en la ONU!

Llamado a la acción

¡Basta de infiltración antiderechos en la ONU!

¿Quieren sumarse al creciente número de personas que le están diciendo «basta» a la infiltración de lxs actores anti-derechos en la ONU?

Suma tu nombre

Snippet - CSW68 - AWID In-Person Exhibit Booth - EN

AWID In-Person Exhibit Booth

📅Tuesday, March 12
🕒 9am-5pm EST

🏢Armenian Cultural Center, 630 2nd Ave. corner of 35th St