Confronting Extractivism & Corporate Power
Women human rights defenders (WHRDs) worldwide defend their lands, livelihoods and communities from extractive industries and corporate power. They stand against powerful economic and political interests driving land theft, displacement of communities, loss of livelihoods, and environmental degradation.
Why resist extractive industries?
Extractivism is an economic and political model of development that commodifies nature and prioritizes profit over human rights and the environment. Rooted in colonial history, it reinforces social and economic inequalities locally and globally. Often, Black, rural and Indigenous women are the most affected by extractivism, and are largely excluded from decision-making. Defying these patriarchal and neo-colonial forces, women rise in defense of rights, lands, people and nature.
Critical risks and gender-specific violence
WHRDs confronting extractive industries experience a range of risks, threats and violations, including criminalization, stigmatization, violence and intimidation. Their stories reveal a strong aspect of gendered and sexualized violence. Perpetrators include state and local authorities, corporations, police, military, paramilitary and private security forces, and at times their own communities.
Acting together
AWID and the Women Human Rights Defenders International Coalition (WHRD-IC) are pleased to announce “Women Human Rights Defenders Confronting Extractivism and Corporate Power”; a cross-regional research project documenting the lived experiences of WHRDs from Asia, Africa and Latin America.
We encourage activists, members of social movements, organized civil society, donors and policy makers to read and use these products for advocacy, education and inspiration.
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"Women Human Rights Defenders confronting extractive industries: an overview of critical risks and Human Rights obligations" is a policy report with a gender perspective. It analyses forms of violations and types of perpetrators, quotes relevant human rights obligations and includes policy recommendations to states, corporations, civil society and donors.
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"Weaving resistance through action: Strategies of Women Human Rights Defenders confronting extractive industries" is a practical guide outlining creative and deliberate forms of action, successful tactics and inspiring stories of resistance.
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The video “Defending people and planet: Women confronting extractive industries” puts courageous WHRDs from Africa, Asia, and Latin America in the spotlight. They share their struggles for land and life, and speak to the risks and challenges they face in their activism.
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Challenging corporate power: Struggles for women’s rights, economic and gender justice is a research paper outlining the impacts of corporate power and offering insights into strategies of resistance.
Share your experience and questions!
◾️ How can these resources support your activism and advocacy?
◾️ What additional information or knowledge do you need to make the best use of these resources?
Thank you!
AWID acknowledges with gratitude the invaluable input of every Woman Human Rights Defender who participated in this project. This project was made possible thanks to your willingness to generously and openly share your experiences and learnings. Your courage, creativity and resilience is an inspiration for us all. Thank you!
Related Content
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Participación y activismo
AWID為何選擇台北作為此次國際論壇的舉辦地點呢?
我們認為在亞太區域,台北最能讓我們為全球女性主義社群打造一個安全又可「造反」的空間。
即將召開的論壇與會者多元,台北提供了相當穩定與安全的環境。同時也具備穩健的勤務服務能力,方便許多旅客來往(提供國際論壇與會者便利的電子簽證流程)
當地的女性主義運動社群也歡迎論壇到來並積極與全球女性主義者串連。
Yelena Bonner
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Our Companion Sites
The Young Feminist Wire
An online community for and by young feminists working on women’s human rights, gender equality and social justice around the world.
The Observatory on the Universality of Rights (OURs)
The platform is the go-to place for information and resources on safeguarding the universality of rights in international and regional human rights spaces.
The Young Feminist Fund-FRIDA
Provides funding for young feminist-led initiatives. It aims to strengthen the capacity of young feminist organizations to leverage resources for their work and to increase donors’ and allies’ commitments to resourcing young feminist activism.
Online Directory of Urgent Responses for WHRDs
A go-to site to learn about the urgent responses undertaken to protect women human rights defenders and to find tools and resources to support the work and wellness of WHRDs.
IM-Defensoras (Mesoamerican Initiative for Women Human Rights Defenders)
A regional initiative created to prevent, respond, document and make public all cases of violence against women human rights defenders in the Mesoamerican region.
The WHRD International Coalition
The WHRD IC is a resource and advocacy network for the protection and support of women human rights defenders worldwide.
Post-2015 Women´s Coalition
A Coalition of feminist, women´s rights, women´s development, grassroots and social justice organisations working to challenge and reframe teh global development agenda.
Women´s Major Group on Development
The role of the Women’s Major Group is to assure effective public participation of women’s non-governmental groups in the UN policy processes on Sustainable Development, Post2015 and Environmental matters.
Women Working Group on Financing for Development
An alliance of women’s organizations and networks to advocate for the advancement of gender equality, women’s empowerment and human rights in the Financing for Development (FfD) related UN processes.
Snippet FEA We are living in a world (FR)
Nous vivons dans un monde où la destruction de la Nature alimente notre économie mondiale actuelle. |
Même en période de crise climatique, les gouvernements continuent d'encourager les industries agricoles à grande échelle à se développer. Ces activités empoisonnent la terre, menacent la biodiversité et détruisent la production alimentaire et les moyens de subsistance locaux. Pendant ce temps, alors que les femmes produisent la majorité de la nourriture dans le monde, elles ne possèdent presque aucune terre. |
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Et si nous percevions la terre et la Nature non pas comme une propriété privée à exploiter, mais comme une totalité avec laquelle vivre, apprendre et coexister harmonieusement ? Et si nous réparions nos relations avec la terre et adoptions des alternatives plus durables qui nourrissent à la fois la planète et ses communautés? Nous Sommes la Solution (NSS) est l'un des nombreux mouvements dirigés par des femmes qui s'efforcent d'atteindre cet objectif. Voici leur histoire. |
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Leticia Eulalia Mary Mukasa- Kikonyogo
Leticia was a Ugandan lawyer and judge.
Prior to her retirement, she held many high profile positions including member of the Court of Appeal of Uganda and Deputy Chief Justice of Uganda. She was the first Ugandan woman to hold the position of Chief Magistrate between 1973 and 1986 and the first woman to be appointed High court judge in 1986.
She was one of the first ever women papal knights in the history of the Catholic Church in Africa. She died of a heart attack.
Alberta "Betty" Cariño
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English article
English article created from Spanish site
Snippet FEA Agroecology And Food (FR)
AGROÉCOLOGIE ET SOUVERAINETÉ ALIMENTAIRE EN TANT QUE RÉSISTANCE |
Aujourd'hui, la production alimentaire industrielle à grande échelle utilise des plantations à culture unique, des organismes génétiquement modifiés et d'autres pesticides qui détruisent la terre et les connaissances des communautés locales. |
L'agroécologie est une résistance à l'agriculture hyper-industrialisée qu’utilisent les multinationales. L'agroécologie donne la priorité à l'agriculture à plus petite échelle, aux cultures multiples et à la production alimentaire diversifiée, tout en centrant les connaissances et pratiques traditionnelles locales. L'agroécologie va de pair avec les revendications de souveraineté alimentaire, ou le "droit des peuples à une alimentation saine et culturellement appropriée produite par des méthodes écologiquement rationnelles et durables, et leur droit de définir leurs propres systèmes alimentaires et agricoles" (Via Campesina, Déclaration de Nyéléni).
Le rôle des femmes, des communautés indigènes et rurales et des personnes racialisées des pays du Sud Global est essentiel dans la préservation des systèmes alimentaires.
Les agroécologistes féministes s'efforcent aussi de démanteler les rôles de genre oppressifs et les systèmes patriarcaux intégrés à la production alimentaire. Comme le montrent les héroïnes de Nous Sommes la Solution, elles génèrent une agroécologie libératrice en renforçant la résilience des communautés, en autonomisant les femmes paysannes et agricultrices tout en en préservant les traditions locales, les territoires et les connaissances des communautés productrices de nourriture.
Mona Chemali Khalaf
Mona fue una economista y consultora independiente sobre temas de género y desarrollo.
Fue profesora de economía y Directora del Institute for Women's Studies in the Arab World de la Lebanese American University. Falleció repentinamente el 6 de enero de 2018.
Sus amigxs y ex-colegas dicen sobre Mona: «Cuando celebramos su vida, lo mejor que podemos hacer es comprometernos a continuar con lo que ella empezó: la igualdad de género, indefectiblemente.
Claudia Pia Baudracco
L’enquête WITM est-elle accessible aux personnes en situation de handicap?
Oui, elle est accessible aux personnes ayant une diversité de capacités d’audition, de mouvement, de vision et cognitives.
Mexican WHRDs
The data from our tribute indicate that Mexico is a particularly dangerous country for defenders. Out of the 12 Mexican Women Human Rights Defenders (WHRDs) we commemorate in this years’ Tribute, 11 were murdered. They were journalists, women’s rights advocates, trans* rights and social activists. Join us in remembering and honoring these WHRDs, their work and legacy by sharing the memes below and tweeting by using the hashtags #WHRDTribute and #16Days.
Please click on each image below to see a larger version and download as a file










