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What complications has the use of religion presented to the normative system of human rights? How can we better ensure that the system and language of human rights is not appropriated and misused? What are some innovative measures that can be used to bring accountability to challenge and expose fundamentalisms? 20 Apr. 2012, Istanbul, TurkeySpeakers: Shareen GokalPam SpeesDawn CavanaghZainah AnwarMaria José Rosado NunesSunila Abeysekera (moderator)

What impact is the rise of religious fundamentalisms having on women’s rights and freedoms? How are activists fighting back?

Women human rights defenders organizations presented a shadow report to the CEDAW Committee of Experts, highlighting the Mexican Government’s lack of compliance and demanded a special investigation on violence against women human rights defenders and journalists in Mexico. The Mesoamerican Women Human Rights Defenders Initiative contributed to the report and was part of the delegation to New York, along with Consorcio Oaxaca, Red Mesa de Mujeres de Ciudad Juárez, and Just Associates (JASS).

The WHRD International Coalition was represented on the panel by Sunila Abeysekera and the Meso-American Initiative of WHRDs was represented through a video statement by Marusia López Cruz. AWID is proud to be a member of both collaboratives and congratulates the speakers on relaying the experiences and concerns of WHRDs from around the world.

This session sought to further a collaborative dialogue between development and women’s rights organizations in the area of religion, rights and development. What is the impact of religion and on rights-based development work and what has been the response? What are some challenges and possible ways forward? 21 Apr. 2012, Istanbul, TurkeySpeakers:Shareen GokalEverjoice WinShaista GohirJessica Horn

HRC Resolution 16/3, “Promoting human rights and fundamental freedoms through a better understanding of traditional values of humankind” stresses that “traditions shall not be invoked to justify harmful practices violating universal human rights norms and standards”, thereby acknowledging that traditions are sometimes invoked to justify human rights violations. Concerns with a traditional values approach to human rights

Women are claiming a leading role the political reform movement in Malaysia. In July this year, around 50,000 Malaysians braved a massive state-sponsored onslaught against freedom of expression and freedom of assembly to gather in the nation's capital to demand electoral reform. By Sonia Randhawa, Director, Centre for Independent Journalism, Malaysia

In 2003, Sylvia Tamale was named as the “Worst Woman of the Year” by a conservative bloc within Uganda. Working at the time as an Associate Professor in the Faculty of Law at Makerere University (she later became its Dean), she was vilified for weeks within one of Kampala’s major daily newspapers, New Vision, as responsible for everything from the moral degeneration of the nation to the reason Ugandan teenagers were going to go to hell. Jane Bennett, African Gender Institute, University of Cape Town

It does not seem so long ago when the women’s health movement marked a major victory in Cairo, as the United Nations Conference on Population and Development 1994 voted in favor of a broad-based reproductive health and development agenda to replace the narrow demographic-based obsession with using family planning to curb population growth rates.

Hundreds of sessions will be taking place throughout the Forum, each one of them exploring key questions in relation to movement building in a way that enables both critical reflection and creative learning.