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Women Human Rights Defenders

The world over, against all odds, Women Human Rights Defenders (WHRDs) work tirelessly for the protection and promotion of human rights. Yet, WHRDs have received little attention in the human rights arena and face gender-specific risks and vulnerabilities in addition to those faced by all human rights defenders. They are confronted by difficult challenges when they work in male dominated environments, are often stigmatized and sometimes become victims of gender specific violations that need to be addressed.

Women Human Rights Defenders face risks in addition to the shared risks/ vulnerabilities that they experience with their male colleagues. The risks and vulnerabilities faced by WHRDs are as follows:

A). Shared risks and vulnerabilities: These are risks and vulnerabilities that they face at par with their male colleagues which are of a general character, i.e. those experienced by all HRDs— men and women.

B). Gender-specific risks and vulnerabilities: These are vulnerabilities faced by WHRDs due to their being a woman or that impact disproportionately on them because they are women, for instance, sexual abuse, harassment, violations from husbands/partners and male colleagues in addition to violations by the state.

C) Risks and vulnerabilities due to their work on women-specific rights/issues: Women Human Rights Defenders also face heightened risks and vulnerabilities because of their work on women-specific rights/issues that frequently challenge cultural stereotypes and religion. Such challenging of cultural and religious norms can raise high levels of hostility, more so because women are considered markers of culture and religion.

All of these problems require strategies to be gender specific rather than gender neutral.

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http://www.theirc.org/news/irc-releases-names-afghanistan-staff-killed1308.html

International Rescue Committee Releases Names of Victims of Ambush in Afghanistan - 3 Women

New York, NY 13 Aug 2008 - The International Rescue Committee has released the names of its four staff members who were tragically killed in an ambush Wednesday morning in Logar Province, Afghanistan. They are:

Mohammad Aimal, 25, of Kabul, Afghanistan. He had worked as a driver for the International Rescue Committee since 2002.

Shirley Case, 30, of Williams Lake, British Columbia. She joined the IRC on June 8 in Afghanistan to manage education programs designed to meet the needs of children with disabilities.

Nicole Dial, 30, a dual citizen of Trinidad and the United States. Her permanent residence was in Trincity, Trinidad and Tobago, W.I. She joined the IRC May 21 in Afghanistan as a coordinator in the agency’s programs for children.

Jacqueline (Jackie) Kirk, Ph.D., 40, of Outrement, Quebec, a dual citizen of Canada and the United Kingdom. An education-programs technical advisor, she had worked for the IRC since 2004. She provided support for the agency’s children’s education programs worldwide.

A second Afghan driver employed by the IRC was seriously wounded in the attack and has been hospitalized.

The victims were en route to Kabul and traveling in a clearly marked International Rescue Committee vehicle when they came under fire at mid-morning.

“We are stunned and profoundly saddened by this tragic loss,” said George Rupp, president of the International Rescue Committee. “These extraordinary individuals were deeply committed to aiding the people of Afghanistan, especially the children who have seen so much strife. Words are inadequate to express our sympathy for the families and loved ones of the victims and our devoted team of humanitarian aid workers in Afghanistan.”

The IRC has been working in Afghanistan for 20 years, providing lifesaving aid and recovery assistance to the Afghan people. As of July, the staff comprised 531 Afghans and 11 expatriates.

The IRC has suspended operations in Afghanistan indefinitely.

The agency carries out humanitarian relief and development programs in 42 countries and operates a network of refugee resettlement offices in 24 cities in the United States. It has headquarters in New York, London, Brussels and Geneva.

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