Philippe Leroyer | Flickr (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

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

Type

Snippet Elimination of Discrimination_Fest (EN)

The Elimination of Discrimination Against Sex Workers

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)

watch panel

Si la langue des signes utilisée pour l’activité n’est pas la langue des signes internationale, y aura-t-il un appui en interprétation dans d’autres langues des signes ?

Si votre activité est acceptée, l’équipe de l’AWID vous contactera pour évaluer et répondre aux besoins d’interprétation et d’accessibilité pour votre activités.

Produisez-vous un rapport annuel ?

Oui. Nous produisons un rapport annuels.

Tous nos rapports annuels sont accessibles sur notre site web.

Voir les rapport annuels de l'AWID

Snippet Feminist Art Walk_fest (ES)

Paseo de las Artes Feministas

Como parte de nuestro compromiso de lograr una interacción más profunda con artistas y la práctica de la creación conjunta de las Realidades Feministas, AWID colaboró con un grupo de trabajo de artisvistas para promover y fortalecer las agendas y realidades feministas en sus comunidades y movimientos a través de sus expresiones creativas. Nuestra intención en este punto es reunir a creativxs feministas en un espacio pujante y valiente donde puedan desarrollarse y vivir en libertad, y donde puedan romper las narrativas tóxicas para sustituirlas por alternativas transformadoras.

Paseo de las Artes Feministas

ทำไมจึงเป็นกรุงเทพ

ฟอรัมแต่ละครั้งถูกจัดขึ้นในภูมิภาคต่างๆทั่วโลก และครั้งนี้ AWID ฟอรัมกลับมาจัดที่เอีเชียอีกครั้ง! เราได้ผ่านการไปเยี่ยมเยือนประเทศต่างๆในเอเชียเพื่อหารือกับขบวนการเฟมินิสต์เพื่อประเมินรายละเอียดด้านโลจิสติกส์ การเข้าถึงง่าย ความปลอดภัย วีซ่า และความพร้อมด้านอื่นๆ โดยคณะกรรมการ AWID ของเรา อนุมัติให้จัดที่กรุงเทพอย่างกระตือรือร้นในฐานะทางเลือกที่ดีที่สุด เราตื่นเต้นที่ได้กลับมากรุงเทพที่ที่เราเคยได้จัด AWID ฟอรัมในปีพ.ศ. 2548

I am writing a research paper. Can AWID help me?

AWID provides a wealth of resources to help your research.

We invite you to explore the Priority Areas and Stay Informed sections of our website, or use the search function to find information about the specific topics you are researching.

We particularly recommend that you explore our toolkit “Where is the Money for Women’s Rights” (WITM Toolkit). This is a Do-it-Yourself Research methodology to support individuals and organizations who want to conduct their own research on funding trends for a particular region, issue or population by adapting AWID’s research methodology.

Explore the WITM Toolkit

Snippet Feminist Art_Fest (EN)

Arte Feminista

CFA FAQ - Funding - Thai

การขอทุนสนับสนุนการเข้าร่วม

2005: se celebra el segundo Diálogo de Alto Nivel

Segundo Diálogo de Alto Nivel sobre la Financiación para el Desarrollo

Las naciones ‘en desarrollo’ exhortaron a que se tuvieran en cuenta los desafíos globales así como las necesidades y posibilidades locales en la interacción con diferentes grupos (mujeres, jóvenes, personas con discapacidad, etc.) para abordar las temáticas identificadas en el Consenso de Monterrey.

Snippet “Gender Ideology” Narratives (FR)

Les discours sur l’ « Idéologie du Genre » :

Pendant des décennies, les universitaires et défenseur·euse·s féministes ont développé d’importantes notions liées au genre afin de comprendre et combattre l’oppression et la discrimination. Ces notions sont maintenant devenues la cible d’acteur·ice·s antidroits qui prétendent que les rôles de genre patriarcaux oppressifs relèvent du « bon sens », peignant stratégiquement toutes les autres idées, normes culturelles et formes de vie sociale comme une idéologie dangereuse et conspirationniste.

Lisez le dossier sur Les Discours Sur L’ « Idéologie Du Genre » : Une Menace Pour Les Droits Humains

Téléchargez ici

هل هناك منهجية مفضلة للجلسات؟

تقترح الدعوة للتقدم بالمقترحات عددًا من التنسيقات والمنهجيات المقترحة. كن/ كوني مبدعًا/ة وتأكد/ي من قراءة قسم "ما تحتاج/ين إلى معرفته".

2011: le cinquième Dialogue de haut niveau lance les discussions sur l´agenda de développement de l´après-2015

Le cinquième Dialogue de haut niveau sur le financement du développement, organisé les 7 et 8 décembre 2011, a marqué le début des discussions relatives au programme de développement de l’après-2015 et aux liens entre ce programme et le financement du développement. La conférence a accordé une attention particulière à la question de l’accroissement de l’aide au financement des OMD. Dans ses observations finales, le Secrétaire général a appelé les membres à commencer à réfléchir sur le cadre de développement de l’après-2015.

Snippet FEA A Caring Economy (EN)

A CARING

ECONOMY

Feminists Centering Care in the Economy:
A Cross-Movement Dialogue

What if we reimagined ways of caring for our communities?

What if the economy was not about someone else’s profit but about care for our individual and collective wellbeing? These stories are about building communities of care with and for people who are historically and presently excluded, disenfranchised and dehumanized by both state and society. These are the stories of feminists centering care in the economy.