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
Y aura-t-il des mesures d’accessibilité au Forum ?
En un mot : oui ! L’AWID collabore actuellement avec un Comité d’accessibilité pour veiller à ce que le Forum soit aussi accessible que possible. Nous évaluons actuellement également l’accessibilité du lieu où se tiendra le Forum, des hôtels alentours et des transports. Des informations détaillées sur l’accessibilité lors du Forum de l’AWID seront disponibles dans cette section avant l’ouverture des inscriptions. Si vous avez des questions d’ici là, n’hésitez pas à nous contacter.
Snippet Elimination of Discrimination_Fest (FR)
Éliminer la discrimination à l’égard des travailleurs·ses du sexe
Kay Thi Win, Asia Pacific Network of Sex Workers (APNSW)
Thin Pa Pa Htun, Aye Myanmar Association
Xiao Shuang, Northeast Transgender Support Network
Cathy Ketepa, Friends Frangipani Inc. PNG
Rajeshwari Prajapati, Society for Women Awareness Nepal (SWAN)
¿Dónde y cuándo tendrá lugar el próximo Foro de AWID?
El 14o Foro internacional de AWID tendrá lugar del 20 al 23 de septiembre de 2021 en Taipéi, Taiwán.
L’activisme au Moyen-Orient et en Afrique du Nord
Notre hommage en ligne met à l’honneur cinq défenseuses des droits humains assassinées au Moyen-Orient ou en Afrique du Nord. Ces défenseuses étaient avocates ou militantes et ont œuvré pour les droits des femmes ou pour les droits civils. Leur mort met en évidence les conditions de travail souvent difficiles et dangereuses dans leurs pays respectifs. Nous vous invitons à vous joindre à nous pour commémorer la vie, le travail et l’activisme de ces femmes. 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




Durvin Ramírez Díaz en.jpg
أنا ممول/ة أو مانح/ة فردي/ة. كيف يمكنني دعم منتدى جمعية حقوق المرأة في التنمية؟
ندعوك للتواصل معنا بشأن طرق المشاركة الهادفة في المنتدى.
Snippet Festival Artwork_fest (EN)
Terezinha Nunes Meciano
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




Fabiola Osorio Bernáldez
هل تقدم جمعية حقوق المرأة في التنمية منح لحضور المنتدى؟
سيقدم صندوق الوصول الخاص بنا عددًا محدودًا من المنح الدراسية لتمويل مشاركة النشطاء/ الناشطات الذين/ اللواتي لا يستطيعون القيام بذلك، وليس لديهم/ن علاقات مع الممولين/ات الذين/ اللواتي يمكنهم/ن تغطية مشاركتهم/ن. لذلك إذا كان لديك احتمالات أخرى، يرجى استكشافها. سنبذل قصارى جهدنا لتقديم أكبر عدد ممكن من المنح الدراسية، وسنشارك المزيد من المعلومات حول هذه العملية وكيفية التقديم لاحقًا في أوائل العام 2024.
Snippet Art Gift_Fest (EN)
Lorraine Gradwell
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.
Galina Kozhevnikova
لقد تقدمت بطلب للمشاركة في المنتدى السابق، هل أحتاج إلى إعادة التقديم؟
نعم من فضلك. لقد تغير العالم منذ عام 2021 ونحن ندعوك لتقديم مقترح يعكس واقعك وأولوياتك الحالية.
Snippet Love Letters Intro (ES)
Cartas de Amor a los Movimientos Feministas
Como podrás o no saber, AWID está celebrando su 40º aniversario en 2022 y, para festejarlo, se eligieron los lemas «Reunir, sembrar e irrumpir». En honor a esta ocasión, hemos invitado a lxs afiliadxs, aliadxs y al personal de AWID a escribir sus propias «Cartas de Amor a los Movimientos Feministas». En conjunto, hemos encendido una constelación de movimientos feministas. Nos mantengamos cerca mientras forjamos el viaje y seguimos reuniéndonos, sembrando y desmantelando.
Nota sobre nuestra Colección de Cartas de Amor
Todas estas cartas de amor fueron escritas por activistas que están compartiendo sus diversas experiencias en los movimientos feministas. Algunas pueden incluir contenido delicado o complejo sobre abuso sexual, violencia sexual, conflictos, exclusión, entre otras piezas potencialmente perturbadoras o provocadoras. Aunque las cartas están llenas de amor, cuídate al leerlas.







