Women Human Right Defenders (WHRDs) are often targeted for their gender and the nature of their job, that is, defending women’s human rights. This publication analyses the various protection mechanisms that have been developed, both nationally and internationally, for WHRDs at risk. It also analyses the sexual threat and abuse faced by WHRDs in the course of their work, in addition to being gender stereotyped.
Key findings:
- WHRDs are exposed to gender-based violence because they are women, sometimes experiencing violence within their own movements and organizations or at the hands of family or community members. This violence, however, is often not registered as violence against WHRDs because it is not committed by the State and is not considered political violence. In addition, WHRDs confront challenges that derive from their work denouncing human rights violations and seeking justice. WHRDs face all these types of violence because they defy a patriarchal culture and a hegemonic notion of sexuality that has placed women in an unequal position in the public and the private sphere.
- WHRDs also view the lack of recognition of their substantive contribution to the human rights movements as a form of violence. This discounting of WHRDs’ work is aggravated in many cases by the fact that WHRDs do not recognize themselves as human rights defenders. As a consequence, they may not feel entitled to existing protection mechanisms at their disposal and thus fail to make use of them.
- Another factor that helps perpetuate violence against WHRDs is the lack of recognition and documentation of the issue. For example, WHRDs may be detained in a demonstration, and they may also be sexually harassed and verbally abused by the officials detaining them, though that harassment may not be recognized nor reported. Similarly, data documenting violence against defenders is not disaggregated by gender and there are not indicators to analyse specific violence against WHRDs. This results in fewer resources for specific protection for WHRDs.
- Attacks against WHRDs often take gender specific forms, including gendered verbal abuse based on their sex, sexual abuse and rape.12 The WHRDs interviewed for this initiative highlighted that the use of sexual violence or the threat of sexual violence affects WHRDs disproportionately. Prevailing impunity contributes to the normalization and escalation of violence against women. Tackling impunity is critical to ensure a safe environment for WHRDs.
- In addition to sexual violence, there are many other attacks that are linked to the use of gender and sexual stereotypes to harm WHRDs’ reputation and delegitimize their work. For example, in many instances, attacks against WHRDs include attacks against their children and other family members. This implies the use of the role of a WHRD as a mother and a caregiver as a mechanism to attack her.
- Another pattern in attacks against WHRDs is the use of gender stereotypes to question and delegitimise their work. For example, WHRDs campaigning for the enactment of divorce laws have been called “family wreckers” and “man-haters”. Also, WHRDs working on sexual and reproductive rights have been called “baby killers”. These attacks come from both state and non-state actors, including conservative or fundamentalist religious groups. The aim of these attacks is to demonize the work of WHRDs and delegitimise the public image of women activists in society.
Recommendations include:
- Grant political and legal recognition (in the constitution or common laws) to the diverse and important work carried out by WHRDs to protect the most vulnerable populations, to achieve more equal societies, and to strengthen democracy and the rule of law.
- Issue specific statements and organize public awareness campaigns that support the legitimacy and importance of WHRDs’ work, focusing on eliminating prejudices and recognising WHRDs’ contributions to society and development both at the national and local level.
- Use a broad definition of “Women Human Rights Defender” that includes not only those working for traditional non-governmental organisations (NGOs), but also WHRDs defending labour rights, land rights, cultural rights, sexual and reproductive rights, as well as collectivities and grassroots organisations.
- Work to ensure that public officials and other non-state actors (such as the media, religious and community leaders, and private sector representatives) do not make statements that attack, defame, incite violence against or stigmatize WHRDs or their social movements. In cases where such statements are made, guarantee that those responsible are punished accordingly.
- Enact specific legislation and programs that fight sexism in media campaigns, in particular those affecting WHRDs.
- Grant legal recognition to the United Nations Declaration on Human Rights Defenders at the national level and recognize the specific risks and vulnerabilities that WHRDs face.
