WUNRN
Referenced Below: UN Human Rights Council Resolution 6/30.
Integrating the Human Rights of Women Throughout the United Nations System
http://ap.ohchr.org/documents/E/HRC/resolutions/A_HRC_RES_6_30.pdf
Women Human Rights
Defenders – UN NGO Collaborative Statement for More Rights & Support
http://www.siawi.org/article8280.html
UN
Human Rights Council – Geneva - 27th
Session - 2014
Statement from the Following Organizations:
Amnesty International, Asian
Forum for Human Rights and Development, Asia Pacific Forum on Women, Law and
Development, Association for Progressive Communications, Association for Women’s
Rights in Development, Center for Reproductive Rights, Coalition of African
Lesbians, International Service for Human Rights, Just Associates, MADRE,
Women’s Global Network for Reproductive Rights, Women’s Rehabilitation Center-
Nepal, World Organization Against Torture (OMCT)*
ISHR – International Service for
Human Rights - makes this statement on behalf of members of the Women Human
Rights Defender International Coalition, an international network of women’s
rights, human rights and sexual rights organizations. We address this simple
fact: in the global North and South alike, women human rights defenders are
targeted for murder, kidnapping, torture, rape, and harassment because of who
we are and because of the work we do. As the Council strengthens its work on
women generally, we note the critical need to integrate analysis and reporting
on women human rights defenders who demand protection, respect and fulfillment
of all human rights.
This integration called for in
Resolution 6/30 requires commitment and rigor alongside sharp and sensitive
gender analysis, deep political will, and meaningful resource allocation. The
best work requires listening to women’s voices, a feminist consciousness,
naming and confronting patriarchy and a commitment to address intersectional
factors that place defenders at, or protect them from risk. It is unacceptable
that women human rights defenders are either not addressed at all or often
among the first to fall off the radar of those within governments and within UN
mechanisms and activities.
We recommend that those doing
country work within the Human Rights Council:
1. Proactively ask new and
different questions, and seek relevant input to build a richer analysis in
enhancing a gender perspective in any and all agenda items of the Council.
2. Proactively seek information
from and meet with women human rights defenders, especially those who may be
hidden, such as defenders in women’s groups, unions, environmental, minority
and Indigenous groups, and in those groups that work on sexuality and gender
including on abortion, on rights related to HIV/ AIDS, sex work, and on sexual
orientation and gender identity and expression.
3. Commit to documenting women
human rights defenders’ situations with sensitivity and nuance.
4. Take into account which women
human rights defenders are not represented in the analysis and what political
pressures might account for this.
5. Ensure the experiences of
women human rights defenders are integrated throughout all stages of research
and reporting, not as a last minute isolated add on.
6. Address the contexts that
affect gender in country specific work, including increased militarization,
increased fundamentalisms of all kinds, including in religious and economic
areas, negative ramifications of globalization, crises of democracy and also
the restrictive effects of the heteronormativity and patriarchy that confine
women’s choices.
7. Look at the law and look
beyond the law. Look at reality: even where legal safeguards exist, women human
rights defenders experience violations because of de facto discrimination and
actions based on misogynist harmful stereotypes.
8. Recognize that there may be
reprisals against those who contribute to this work. Take adequate measures to
protect from reprisals those who engage with the Council’s work. Should
reprisals occur, ensure that the allegations are promptly investigated.
9. Learn from what has worked
well in past efforts to integrate a gender perspective and commit to doing
better work every time you have the opportunity.
10. Stand by your gender
sensitive research, and documentation. Resist efforts, wherever they come from,
to dilute or erase this information.
These commitments will help the
Human Rights Council’s mechanisms to do justice to the courage and strength of
women human rights defenders around the world. The risks we take to demand
justice and rights warrant no less.