17.01.05
Events
Launch of the International Campaign on Women Human Rights Defenders November 25-December 18, 2004
- Event Date: 17.01.05
- Event Time: 00:00:00
“Defending Women Defending Rights”
A campaign for the recognition and protection of human rights defenders, particularly women, who are activists advocating for the realisation of human rights for all
Rationale
The advocacy for human rights has been a continuing struggle and millions of women around the world are involved in this struggle for the realisation of their human rights as well as the rights of other marginalised groups. This commitment to advance human rights requires that the work of activists are also recognised and considered legitimate. The Human Rights Defenders declaration adopted by the United Nations in December 1998, is the first UN instrument that has focused on the right to defend human rights as a right in itself.
Despite international recognition of the need to protect human rights activity and human rights defenders (HRDs), the situation for HRDs today is alarming due to a confluence of factors including increasing militarisation, not only of states through their armies and military budgets but also of independent armed groups that take the population hostage in their conflicts with the state, terrorism and the ‘war on terror’, poverty, repressive laws being passed under the garb of national security, and the rise of extreme right political forces that work both from within as well as outside the state apparatus to curtail women's human rights, often using religion and culture to cover their political goals and to impose regressive mores in the name of identity, etc. In the words of a HRD, “…for the first time national security is being used as a global weapon, not a regional or national strategy, with extremely harmful effects on human rights across the world”. The unbridled power that now exists with several multi-national and transnational corporations in the era of 'laissez faire' and neo-liberal market forces has given these institutions the power to operate like “a state within the state” with little accountability for the human rights violations they are responsible for. September 11th has had a direct impact on HRDs and it has also made it harder to be a HRD in several parts of the world. This is true both for people that are arbitrarily equated with potential terrorists and for citizens inside their own countries that are accused of collusion with tenants of the "war on terror" when they fight for values seen as "alien" such as human rights and especially women's human rights.
The current climate of repression and criminalisation of human rights work has increased persecution of HRDs worldwide. While women human rights defenders (WHRDs) face this persecution at par with their male colleagues, their vulnerabilities are greater: (i) Because they are women, that opens the entire domain of gender-specific vulnerabilities and violations like sexual harassment, sexual violence, and use of these to silence women and their communities. (ii) Heightened risks and vulnerabilities are encountered by WHRDs because of the nature of their work. Often WHRDs work on issues of women’s rights which challenge the status quo which men enjoy resulting in retaliatory attacks from those who do not want these privileges challenged. Also work of women’s rights often challenges domains of culture and religion, which are highly emotive subjects resulting in women facing backlash. (iii) Often, political commitment to human rights do not translate to personal practices and WHRDs have the additional violator—their partner, their husband and unfortunately, sometimes their male colleagues as well.
Thus a campaign that focuses on WHRDs is deliberate in the light of the differing dimensions of risks and vulnerabilities faced by them.
What is this Campaign about?
The International Campaign on Women Human Rights Defenders is a global mobilisation on WHRDs to bring international attention to the concerns of WHRDs and their need for protection. It will involve women and human rights activists in different fields and sectors, grassroots groups, NGOs, social movements and other members of the civil society. The Campaign will emphasise that women fighting for human rights and for women's human rights are in fact human rights defenders and that those working in human rights movement also have gender-specific protection concerns that need to be addressed. Additionally the Campaign will focus on the situation of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) activists, who are also targeted because of their gender identity and the rights they are fighting to uphold. The Campaign will culminate in an International Consultation which will consolidate the Campaign and develop specific recommendations and remedies for the adequate protection of WHRD.
The specific objectives of the campaign are:
What are the Specific Calls of the Campaign?
Under the broad theme “Defending Women Defending Rights”, the specific calls for the campaign are:
A. Recognise WHRDs
B. Resist state violence
C. Restore human rights for all
Why launch the campaign on November 25?
November 25 has been marked as the International Day for Elimination of Violence Against Women by women activists worldwide. It is on this day in 1961, the three Mirabal sisters who were political activists in the Dominican Republic were brutally assassinated. The Mirabal sisters are also symbol of resistance against the dictatorship in the Dominican Republic then. Thus, in addition to symbolising a day to call for elimination of violence against women, this day also symbolises women’s activism.
The launch of the campaign will go on until December 18, which is the International Day of Migrants. This is to signify the involvement of women migrants’ rights activists in this campaign, reflecting the cross sectoral reach of this initiative.
Who can get involved in this campaign?
This is a global campaign. Anyone who is committed to the objectives of the campaign can join us. The campaign is not limited to NGOs. People from any profession (academics, journalists, lawyers, doctors, etc.) can join the campaign. Funders, international organizations, UN bodies and individuals can also join the campaign. Although the focus is deliberately on women, men committed to advancing women’s rights are welcome. Gays, lesbians, transsexual and transgendered groups as well as individuals from other sexual minorities are encouraged to join the campaign.
How can I get involved?
You can become a sponsor of this campaign by doing all or any of the following:
a. Join us in the Postcard Campaign (more details are given below).
b. Organise an activity in your community or locality.
c. Add the calls of this campaign to your existing campaign and in your ongoing activities.
d. Meet with and lobby your government officials, human rights commissions and other agencies to address the concerns of WHRDs.
e. Issue statements and/or press releases on the issue.
f. Link with other groups (women, peasants, labour, indigenous, youth, etc.) at international, regional, national or local level and share information on the campaign and develop and undertake collective action.
g. Circulate action alerts on persecution of WHRDs.
h. Identify existing or new mechanisms for protection of WHRDs.
i. Commit to sponsor and send at least one participant to the International Consultation on WHRD to be held in July 2005 (further details on the Consultation will be available by February 2005).
If you commit to do any of the above mentioned activities, we shall include you as a co-sponsor of this campaign. Please send us a brief note of your activities (including statements, action alerts and press releases) under this campaign so that we can put that information on the campaign web-site (www.defendingwomen-defendingrights.org).
If you are interested in participating at the International Consultation on WHRD in July 2005, please, send us your email address or other contact details.
Join us in the Postcard Campaign (November 25- December 18):
In order to launch the International Campaign, we are launching a postcard on WHRDs. The postcard can be downloaded here.
A. Please identify two women or women’s groups or communities (for instance, sex workers, Dalits, indigenous peoples, HIV positive women, women working on sexual and reproductive rights issues, etc.) who are WHRDs and are being persecuted or are facing risks. Also identify the reason behind their persecution.
B. At the back of the postcard, please write a short profile of the WHRDs who are at risk or are being persecuted (including the reason behind her persecution) and send a copy of the postcard to all or any of the following:
a. The President of your country;
b. The National Human Rights Commission of your country;
c. The local Member of Parliament or a political representative of your province/locality;
d. The UN Special Representative on Human Rights Defenders, Hina Jilani, at the APWLD address given below (we will send all the postcards to her).
e. Women’s groups and any other groups you may want to share this with.
Please feel free to
Please try to send out these postcards by December 18.
Who are We?
Concerned by the situation and keen to respond to it, some women’s and human rights groups came together to form the International Coordinating Committee (ICC) which will coordinate this campaign. The ICC members are representatives of network organisations and women’s and human rights groups working on the concerns of WHRDs.
1. Asia Pacific Forum on Women, Law and Development (APWLD)
2. Amnesty International (AI)
3. Women Living Under Muslim Laws (WLUML)
4. International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (IGLHRC)
5. International Service for Human Rights (ISHR)
6. World Organisation against Torture (OMCT)
7. Center for Women’s Global Leadership (CWGL)
8. Forum Asia
9. Inform
10. Frontline
11. International League for Human Rights
12. Amanitare
13. ISIS- Women's International Cross-Cultural Exchange
14. The Latin American and Caribbean Committee for the Defense of Women's Rights (CLADEM)
15. Asia Pacific Forum on Women, Law and Development (APWLD)
16. Amnesty International (AI)
17. Women Living Under Muslim Laws (WLUML)
18. International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (IGLHRC)
19. International Service for Human Rights (ISHR)
20. World Organisation against Torture (OMCT)
21. Center for Women’s Global Leadership (CWGL)
22. Forum Asia
23. Inform
24. Frontline
25. International League for Human Rights
26. Amanitare
27. ISIS- Women's International Cross-Cultural Exchange
28. The Latin American and Caribbean Committee for the Defense of Women's Rights (CLADEM)
For more information on the International Campaign on WHRD please contact its Secretariat at:
APWLD
Santitham YMCA Building 3rd floor, Room 305-308
11 Sermsuk Road , Soi Mengrairasmi, Chiangmai 50300
Thailand
Tel :(66 53) 404 613-4 Fax (66 53) 404 615
Email: info@defendingwomen-defendingrights.org or yamini@apwld.org or apwld@apwld.org
Visit our website www.defendingwomen-defendingrights.org for more information on the campaign!
A campaign for the recognition and protection of human rights defenders, particularly women, who are activists advocating for the realisation of human rights for all
Rationale
The advocacy for human rights has been a continuing struggle and millions of women around the world are involved in this struggle for the realisation of their human rights as well as the rights of other marginalised groups. This commitment to advance human rights requires that the work of activists are also recognised and considered legitimate. The Human Rights Defenders declaration adopted by the United Nations in December 1998, is the first UN instrument that has focused on the right to defend human rights as a right in itself.
Despite international recognition of the need to protect human rights activity and human rights defenders (HRDs), the situation for HRDs today is alarming due to a confluence of factors including increasing militarisation, not only of states through their armies and military budgets but also of independent armed groups that take the population hostage in their conflicts with the state, terrorism and the ‘war on terror’, poverty, repressive laws being passed under the garb of national security, and the rise of extreme right political forces that work both from within as well as outside the state apparatus to curtail women's human rights, often using religion and culture to cover their political goals and to impose regressive mores in the name of identity, etc. In the words of a HRD, “…for the first time national security is being used as a global weapon, not a regional or national strategy, with extremely harmful effects on human rights across the world”. The unbridled power that now exists with several multi-national and transnational corporations in the era of 'laissez faire' and neo-liberal market forces has given these institutions the power to operate like “a state within the state” with little accountability for the human rights violations they are responsible for. September 11th has had a direct impact on HRDs and it has also made it harder to be a HRD in several parts of the world. This is true both for people that are arbitrarily equated with potential terrorists and for citizens inside their own countries that are accused of collusion with tenants of the "war on terror" when they fight for values seen as "alien" such as human rights and especially women's human rights.
The current climate of repression and criminalisation of human rights work has increased persecution of HRDs worldwide. While women human rights defenders (WHRDs) face this persecution at par with their male colleagues, their vulnerabilities are greater: (i) Because they are women, that opens the entire domain of gender-specific vulnerabilities and violations like sexual harassment, sexual violence, and use of these to silence women and their communities. (ii) Heightened risks and vulnerabilities are encountered by WHRDs because of the nature of their work. Often WHRDs work on issues of women’s rights which challenge the status quo which men enjoy resulting in retaliatory attacks from those who do not want these privileges challenged. Also work of women’s rights often challenges domains of culture and religion, which are highly emotive subjects resulting in women facing backlash. (iii) Often, political commitment to human rights do not translate to personal practices and WHRDs have the additional violator—their partner, their husband and unfortunately, sometimes their male colleagues as well.
Thus a campaign that focuses on WHRDs is deliberate in the light of the differing dimensions of risks and vulnerabilities faced by them.
What is this Campaign about?
The International Campaign on Women Human Rights Defenders is a global mobilisation on WHRDs to bring international attention to the concerns of WHRDs and their need for protection. It will involve women and human rights activists in different fields and sectors, grassroots groups, NGOs, social movements and other members of the civil society. The Campaign will emphasise that women fighting for human rights and for women's human rights are in fact human rights defenders and that those working in human rights movement also have gender-specific protection concerns that need to be addressed. Additionally the Campaign will focus on the situation of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) activists, who are also targeted because of their gender identity and the rights they are fighting to uphold. The Campaign will culminate in an International Consultation which will consolidate the Campaign and develop specific recommendations and remedies for the adequate protection of WHRD.
The specific objectives of the campaign are:
- to promote the recognition and visibility of WHRDs working both on women’s rights and other human rights issues;
- to ensure the protection of WHRDs in accordance with the UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders and other international instruments and mechanisms;
- to identify specific repression of human rights defenders when defending human rights of women and identify gender-based forms of human rights violations, threats, risks and their consequences on women human rights defenders;
- to enhance links and strengthen networks among WHRDs working in different areas of human rights;
- to enhance human rights defenders’ capacity and develop tools for use in their work at the local level.
What are the Specific Calls of the Campaign?
Under the broad theme “Defending Women Defending Rights”, the specific calls for the campaign are:
A. Recognise WHRDs
B. Resist state violence
C. Restore human rights for all
Why launch the campaign on November 25?
November 25 has been marked as the International Day for Elimination of Violence Against Women by women activists worldwide. It is on this day in 1961, the three Mirabal sisters who were political activists in the Dominican Republic were brutally assassinated. The Mirabal sisters are also symbol of resistance against the dictatorship in the Dominican Republic then. Thus, in addition to symbolising a day to call for elimination of violence against women, this day also symbolises women’s activism.
The launch of the campaign will go on until December 18, which is the International Day of Migrants. This is to signify the involvement of women migrants’ rights activists in this campaign, reflecting the cross sectoral reach of this initiative.
Who can get involved in this campaign?
This is a global campaign. Anyone who is committed to the objectives of the campaign can join us. The campaign is not limited to NGOs. People from any profession (academics, journalists, lawyers, doctors, etc.) can join the campaign. Funders, international organizations, UN bodies and individuals can also join the campaign. Although the focus is deliberately on women, men committed to advancing women’s rights are welcome. Gays, lesbians, transsexual and transgendered groups as well as individuals from other sexual minorities are encouraged to join the campaign.
How can I get involved?
You can become a sponsor of this campaign by doing all or any of the following:
a. Join us in the Postcard Campaign (more details are given below).
b. Organise an activity in your community or locality.
c. Add the calls of this campaign to your existing campaign and in your ongoing activities.
d. Meet with and lobby your government officials, human rights commissions and other agencies to address the concerns of WHRDs.
e. Issue statements and/or press releases on the issue.
f. Link with other groups (women, peasants, labour, indigenous, youth, etc.) at international, regional, national or local level and share information on the campaign and develop and undertake collective action.
g. Circulate action alerts on persecution of WHRDs.
h. Identify existing or new mechanisms for protection of WHRDs.
i. Commit to sponsor and send at least one participant to the International Consultation on WHRD to be held in July 2005 (further details on the Consultation will be available by February 2005).
If you commit to do any of the above mentioned activities, we shall include you as a co-sponsor of this campaign. Please send us a brief note of your activities (including statements, action alerts and press releases) under this campaign so that we can put that information on the campaign web-site (www.defendingwomen-defendingrights.org).
If you are interested in participating at the International Consultation on WHRD in July 2005, please, send us your email address or other contact details.
Join us in the Postcard Campaign (November 25- December 18):
In order to launch the International Campaign, we are launching a postcard on WHRDs. The postcard can be downloaded here.
A. Please identify two women or women’s groups or communities (for instance, sex workers, Dalits, indigenous peoples, HIV positive women, women working on sexual and reproductive rights issues, etc.) who are WHRDs and are being persecuted or are facing risks. Also identify the reason behind their persecution.
B. At the back of the postcard, please write a short profile of the WHRDs who are at risk or are being persecuted (including the reason behind her persecution) and send a copy of the postcard to all or any of the following:
a. The President of your country;
b. The National Human Rights Commission of your country;
c. The local Member of Parliament or a political representative of your province/locality;
d. The UN Special Representative on Human Rights Defenders, Hina Jilani, at the APWLD address given below (we will send all the postcards to her).
e. Women’s groups and any other groups you may want to share this with.
Please feel free to
- Put your logo on the postcard;
- Translate the calls on the postcard in your local language;
- Reproduce and distribute as many copies as you like. You can send the postcards either electronically or by printing and mailing them.
Please try to send out these postcards by December 18.
Who are We?
Concerned by the situation and keen to respond to it, some women’s and human rights groups came together to form the International Coordinating Committee (ICC) which will coordinate this campaign. The ICC members are representatives of network organisations and women’s and human rights groups working on the concerns of WHRDs.
1. Asia Pacific Forum on Women, Law and Development (APWLD)
2. Amnesty International (AI)
3. Women Living Under Muslim Laws (WLUML)
4. International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (IGLHRC)
5. International Service for Human Rights (ISHR)
6. World Organisation against Torture (OMCT)
7. Center for Women’s Global Leadership (CWGL)
8. Forum Asia
9. Inform
10. Frontline
11. International League for Human Rights
12. Amanitare
13. ISIS- Women's International Cross-Cultural Exchange
14. The Latin American and Caribbean Committee for the Defense of Women's Rights (CLADEM)
15. Asia Pacific Forum on Women, Law and Development (APWLD)
16. Amnesty International (AI)
17. Women Living Under Muslim Laws (WLUML)
18. International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (IGLHRC)
19. International Service for Human Rights (ISHR)
20. World Organisation against Torture (OMCT)
21. Center for Women’s Global Leadership (CWGL)
22. Forum Asia
23. Inform
24. Frontline
25. International League for Human Rights
26. Amanitare
27. ISIS- Women's International Cross-Cultural Exchange
28. The Latin American and Caribbean Committee for the Defense of Women's Rights (CLADEM)
For more information on the International Campaign on WHRD please contact its Secretariat at:
APWLD
Santitham YMCA Building 3rd floor, Room 305-308
11 Sermsuk Road , Soi Mengrairasmi, Chiangmai 50300
Thailand
Tel :(66 53) 404 613-4 Fax (66 53) 404 615
Email: info@defendingwomen-defendingrights.org or yamini@apwld.org or apwld@apwld.org
Visit our website www.defendingwomen-defendingrights.org for more information on the campaign!