WUNRN
APWLD - Asia Pacific Forum on Women,
Law & Development
Women Human
Rights Defenders Fight on Despite Threats
On
Friday, 29 November 2013, International Women Human Rights Defenders Day,
people around the world recognised the activism, advocacy and courageous acts
of resistance of women working to promote and defend human rights and
fundamental freedoms for all people. Recognition and remembrance are necessary,
but these women need support even more so. Because of their work, women such as
Helen Hakena in Papua New Guinea, Nimalka Fernando in Sri Lanka and Yorm Bopha
and Nim Chray in Cambodia face increasing attacks, threats, harassment and
insecurity, including violations of their rights to life, liberty, free
association and expression, as well as gender-based violence and attacks on
their reputation, by State and private actors.
In
countries like Cambodia, where extensive land-grabbing threatens the land and
homes of numerous communities, women play a critical role in defending land
rights and demanding accountability for human rights abuses resulting from
corporate and State activity. The recent case of the Boeung Kak 13, is another
example of the use and abuse of law to criminalise the work of women human
rights defenders. This group of 13 women from the Boeung Kak lake region in
Fellow
Cambodian Nim Chray was also arrested when she protested evictions in Thmor
Kol, a village located near
In
Despite
these threats, women’s rights defenders continue to advocate and defend human
rights and fundamental freedoms for all people worldwide. Helen Hakena of
Bougainville, co-founder of the Leitana Nehan Women’s Development Agency
(LNWDA) and member of the Asia Pacific Forum on Women, Law and Development
works tirelessly to ensure that women are central to peace agreements and
development initiatives in the civil war torn island. Helen continues to
promote women’s rights at the local level despite attacks on women human rights
defenders who are branded as witches. On November 25, Helen and the LNWDA, in
solidarity with women’s rights activists globally, launched their 16 Days of
Activism Against Gender Based Violence Campaign.
29
November also marks the anniversary of the opening of the First International
Consultation on Women Human Rights Defenders, organised in 2005 by the Asia
Pacific Forum on Women, Law and Development (APWLD) and several human rights
organisations in
Rather than
hindering the work of women human rights defenders, States must enable, support
and protect them. States should strengthen laws and policies to promote gender
equality, promote women’s autonomy and protect their equal participation and
involvement in all decision-making processes, including through national
implementation of the UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders.
This
last week, the UN General Assembly, on the initiative of the Norwegian
government, adopted a resolution for the Protection of Women Human Rights
Defenders, highlighting the specific dangers and threats faced by women human
rights defenders in the course of their work. The resolution, however, faced
significant opposition from a number of States. Ultimately, this led to the
omission of critical language condemning all forms of violence against women
and acknowledging the particular risks faced by defenders working on sexual and
reproductive health and rights. This clearly illustrates the long road ahead
for women human rights defenders to achieve the protection and recognition they
deserve. APWLD joins the global call for the unqualified support and protection
of women human rights defenders all over the world.
For more
information:
apwld@apwld.org
www.apwld.org