Executive Summary of the Gender-specific recommendations for the EU Guidelines on HRDs

The ten women’s rights and human rights non-governmental organisations mentioned below would like to draw your attention to the urgent need to ensure the protection of WHRDs, in particular by applying a gender-perspective to the implementation of the EU Guidelines on Human Rights Defenders.

Women Human Rights Defenders (WHRDs) is a term referring to women who individually or with others, act to promote and protect everyone’s human rights and any individual working specifically to promote women’s rights. This sub-category of defenders has been singled out because they face risks particular to their gender committed by both state and non-state actors, including their families and communities, especially when they confront and challenge cultural, religious or social norms about the role of women and their status in their societies. Consequently, WHRDs are often the ones who require the utmost support and protection.

Despite many hurdles, WHRDs work actively for the advancement not only of women’s rights, but of all human rights. Many have risked their lives and many others are facing threats and other forms of violations and abuse in defence of human rights. The Special Representative of the UN Secretary General on Human Rights Defenders has designated the support and protection of WHRDs as one of her four priority areas, and the Finnish and Austrian Presidencies of the EU determined WHRDs an area of core focus throughout 2006.

In 2004 the European Union adopted Ensuring Protection - European Union Guidelines on Human Rights defenders( the Guidelines). The Guidelines acknowledge that it is “important to apply a gender perspective when approaching the issue of human rights defenders”.

In April 2006, the EU carried out a review of the implementation of the Guidelines and in its conclusions the Council called for “particular attention to the situation of women human rights defenders”. It provided a set of 41 concrete recommendations, two of which specifically pertain to WHRDs: (1) training be provided for embassy/delegation staff, including consular staff, relevant staff in Permanent Representations, technical-operation staff which should also draw attention to the specific risks and protection needs of women human rights defenders; (2) Consular staff should devise local implementation strategies for the Guidelines, in consultation with local human rights defenders as part of broader local human rights action plans, with attention given to the specific needs of WHRDs.

In order to advance upon these initial important recommendations and ensure their effective implementation, the attached document further outlines concrete suggestions for EU Missions (including embassies and consulates of EU member states and European Commission delegations) to apply a gender perspective in implementing the Guidelines. It provides gender-specific recommendations for each of the articles under Section IV of the Guidelines. While the recommendations are addressed to EU member states EU Missions, and relevant EU bodies, this document is also intended to influence the conduct of governments outside the EU regarding the protection of WHRDs and the promotion and realisation of their rights.

Our organisations specifically call for:

• The adoption of specific conclusions by the General Affairs External Relations Council (GAERC) taking note of the risks and obstacles faced by WHRDs in the exercise of their activities, emphasizing the urgency and necessity of enhancing their protection and stressing the importance of applying a gender perspective in addressing human rights defenders issues;
• The incorporation of gender-specific recommendations and implementation tools into the Handbook on the Implementation of the EU Guidelines on Human Rights Defenders (as drafted under the Dutch Presidency);
• The dissemination of gender-specific recommendations for the protection of WHRDs to all missions as soon as possible and their full implementation.
• The incorporation of the gender-specific recommendations in training for mission staff on HRDs to ensure specific focus on issues related to WHRDs.

We thank you for your attention regarding this matter.

Yours sincerely,

Amnesty International (AI)
Asia Pacific Forum on Women Law and Development (APWLD)
Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (Forum Asia)
Center for Women’s Global Leadership (CWGL)
Front Line
Human Rights First
International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH)
Information Monitor (INFORM)
International Service for Human Rights (ISHR)
World Organisation against Torture (OMCT)