WUNRN
WOMEN HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDERS
In
her 2002 report before the UN Commission on Human Rights, Ms. Hina Jilani, UN
Special Representative of the Secretary General on Human Rights Defenders (UN
SRSG HRD) addressed the critical situation of women human rights defenders
(WHRDs). The UN SRSG HRD indicated that out of the 161 urgent appeals she had
sent to Governments during that year, 70 concerned women defenders or women’s
organizations.
The world over, against all odds, WHRDs work tirelessly for the protection and promotion of human rights. Yet, WHRDs have got 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.
WHRDs 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: WHRD 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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Human
rights defenders, who by peaceful means advocate, mobilize and often put
themselves at risk to defend the most fundamental rights and freedoms, are key agents
of change in their own society and the best allies of the international
community's efforts to support human rights.
Human Rights
Defenders Support Conference UN, EU, Council of Europe
Under the theme “The Defenders Take the Floor”, the UDHR 60 conference gathered prominent human rights advocates and representatives of human rights organizations to share their experience and to review available UN, EU and Council of Europe mechanisms supporting the work of human rights defenders.
High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi
Pillay addresses the European Parliament during a high level conference. She is
accompanied by Luisa Morgantini, Member of the European Parliament.
© Photo European Parliament
The conference aimed to reaffirm and illustrate the scope of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights through the work of human rights defenders across the globe. Also featured at the conference were art and multi-media projects devoted to UDHR 60 and the universality of human rights.
They included “Stories on Human Rights” – a joint project by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and ART for the World featuring a series of short films directed by filmmakers and video artists on key themes of the Universal Declaration. Other projects presented were “Cartooning for Peace”, “6 billion Others” and “World Voices Project”.
Human rights defenders, who by peaceful means advocate, mobilize and often put themselves at risk to defend the most fundamental rights and freedoms, are key agents of change in their own society and the best allies of the international community's efforts to support human rights.
In a keynote speech to the conference, the High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay said that by giving effect to the principles of the Universal Declaration, human rights defenders had very much kept alive the momentum, the focus, and the pressure for change.
“They are at the frontlines in early warning — by reporting emerging and potentially escalating patterns of abuse; in monitoring — by pointing to deviations from international human rights and humanitarian law, in transition facilitation — by challenging impunity, strengthening the rule of law, devising measures to flesh out best democratic practices, and establishing principles of good governance in societies emerging from conflict or transitioning to democracy,” she said.
Two panels at the conference focused on the mechanisms of protection, in particular the implementation of the 1998 UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders and of the EU guidelines on human rights defenders, and the importance of freedom of expression as a pillar of the human rights system.
The conference provided an opportunity to assess the situation of human rights defenders around the world and reconfirmed the commitment of the United Nations, the European Union, and the Council of Europe to better protect these key actors in the struggle to realise the vision that 60 years ago inspired the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
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