Philippe Leroyer | Flickr (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

Special Focus

AWID is an international, feminist, membership organisation committed to achieving gender equality, sustainable development and women’s human rights

Women Human Rights Defenders

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WHRDs are self-identified women and lesbian, bisexual, transgender, queer and intersex (LBTQI) people and others who defend rights and are subject to gender-specific risks and threats due to their human rights work and/or as a direct consequence of their gender identity or sexual orientation.

WHRDs are subject to systematic violence and discrimination due to their identities and unyielding struggles for rights, equality and justice.

The WHRD Program collaborates with international and regional partners as well as the AWID membership to raise awareness about these risks and threats, advocate for feminist and holistic measures of protection and safety, and actively promote a culture of self-care and collective well being in our movements.

Risks and threats targeting WHRDs  

WHRDs are exposed to the same types of risks that all other defenders who defend human rights, communities, and the environment face. However, they are also exposed to gender-based violence and gender-specific risks because they challenge existing gender norms within their communities and societies.

By defending rights, WHRDs are at risk of:

  • Physical assault and death
  • Intimidation and harassment, including in online spaces
  • Judicial harassment and criminalization
  • Burnout

A collaborative, holistic approach to safety

We work collaboratively with international and regional networks and our membership

  • to raise awareness about human rights abuses and violations against WHRDs and the systemic violence and discrimination they experience
  • to strengthen protection mechanisms and ensure more effective and timely responses to WHRDs at risk

We work to promote a holistic approach to protection which includes:

  • emphasizing the importance of self-care and collective well being, and recognizing that what care and wellbeing mean may differ across cultures
  • documenting the violations targeting WHRDs using a feminist intersectional perspective;
  • promoting the social recognition and celebration of the work and resilience of WHRDs ; and
  • building civic spaces that are conducive to dismantling structural inequalities without restrictions or obstacles

Our Actions

We aim to contribute to a safer world for WHRDs, their families and communities. We believe that action for rights and justice should not put WHRDs at risk; it should be appreciated and celebrated.

  • Promoting collaboration and coordination among human rights and women’s rights organizations at the international level to  strengthen  responses concerning safety and wellbeing of WHRDs.

  • Supporting regional networks of WHRDs and their organizations, such as the Mesoamerican Initiative for WHRDs and the WHRD Middle East and North Africa  Coalition, in promoting and strengthening collective action for protection - emphasizing the establishment of solidarity and protection networks, the promotion of self-care, and advocacy and mobilization for the safety of WHRDs;

  • Increasing the visibility and recognition of  WHRDs and their struggles, as well as the risks that they encounter by documenting the attacks that they face, and researching, producing, and disseminating information on their struggles, strategies, and challenges:

  • Mobilizing urgent responses of international solidarity for WHRDs at risk through our international and regional networks, and our active membership.

Related Content

Type

Snippet FEA Clemencia Video (EN)

Nuestra agrupación, organización o movimiento no ha tomado ni movilizado financiamiento de donantes externos, ¿deberíamos responder la encuesta?

¡Sí! Reconocemos y valoramos las distintas razones por las que los feminismos en sus contextos respectivos no cuentan con financiamiento externo, ya sea por no reunir los requisitos para solicitar donaciones o para recibir dinero del exterior, o bien porque se financian con recursos generados de manera autónoma como estrategia política en sí misma. Deseamos saber de ustedes con independencia de su experiencia de financiamiento externo.

Winnie Madikizela-Mandela

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Category
Economic, Social and Cultural Rights
Region
Africa
Sub Sahara Africa
Date of death / disappearance
Cause of death / disappearance

Disease

Winnie has been described as a “militant firebrand activist” who fought the apartheid regime in South Africa.

She was imprisoned multiple times, and on many occasions placed in solitary confinement.

Ma’Winnie, as she is affectionately remembered, was known for being outspoken about the challenges Black women faced during and after apartheid, having been on the receiving end of these brutalities herself as a mother, wife and activist during the struggle. She transcended the misconception that leadership is gender, class or race-based. Despite being a controversial figure, she is remembered by many by her Xhosa name, “ Nomzamo”, which means "She who endures trials".  

Ma’Winnie continues to be an inspiration to many, particularly young South African women for whom her death has spurred a burgeoning movement, with the mantra: "She didn't die, she multiplied."

 

 

Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, South Africa

Ai-je besoin d’un visa pour assister au Forum à Taipei ?

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Vous N’AVEZ PAS besoin d’un visa pour assister au Forum à Taipei si vous détenez un passeport émis par l’un des pays suivants (la durée de séjour autorisée varie d’un pays à l’autre) :

Allemagne, Andorre, Australie, Autriche, Belgique, Belize, Bulgarie, Brunei, Canada, Chili, Chypre, Croatie, Danemark, Espagne, Estonie, Eswatini, État de la Cité du Vatican, États-Unis, Finlande, France, Grèce, Guatemala, Haïti, Honduras, Hongrie, Îles Marshall, Islande, Irlande, Israël, Italie, Japon*, Lettonie, Liechtenstein, Lituanie, Luxembourg, Malaisie, Malte, Monaco, Nauru, Nicaragua, Norvège, Nouvelle-Zélande, Palaos, Paraguay, Pays-Bas, Philippines, Pologne, Portugal, République de Corée, République dominicaine, République tchèque, Roumanie, Royaume-Uni, Russie, Saint-Christophe-et-Niévès, Sainte-Lucie, Saint-Marin, Saint-Vincent-et-les-Grenadines, Singapour, Slovaquie, Slovénie, Suède, Suisse, Tuvalu.

Les personnes détentrices de tout autre passeport AURONT BESOIN D’UN VISA pour se rendre à Taipei.

Remarque :

Une fois inscrit·e au Forum, il est probable que vous receviez un code relatif à l’événement vous permettant de demander un visa en ligne, quelle que soit votre nationalité.

Nous vous donnerons plus d’informations à ce sujet après l’ouverture du processus d’inscription. 

 

From “WID” to “GAD” to Women’s Rights: The First Twenty Years of AWID

In 2002 AWID celebrated its 20th anniversary. Given the challenging political, economic and funding environment in which women's organizations must survive, a milestone such as this is worthy of recognition.

In the past two decades the geo-political landscape has been transformed and development theories have come and gone, but approaches to ensure women benefit from development processes have endured.

In its twenty-year history, AWID grew from a volunteer organization for U.S. "Women in Development" (WID) specialists to an international network striving to support proactive and strategic gender equality research, activism and policy dialogue.

On the occasion of its 20th anniversary, this paper charts not only the changes in AWID's organizational structure and goals but also the shifts in policy approaches to gender equality in a changing global environment, through the lens of a membership organization committed to improving the lives of women and girls everywhere.

Snippet FEA EoS The Bold (EN)

Yellow and pink cog wheels

The Bold
Production and entrepreneurship

Quelles sont les langues officielles de l’enquête WITM?

À l’heure actuelle, l’enquête est disponible sur KOBO en français, anglais, arabe, espagnol, portugais et russe. Vous pouvez choisir votre langue au début du questionnaire.

Barin Kobane

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Category
Derechos civiles y políticos
Region
Asia Occidental

Barin integraba la unidad de batalla formada íntegramente por mujeres de la Unidad de Protección del Pueblo Kurdo (YPG).

La mataron cuando estaba en servicio activo.

La periodista libanesa Hifaa Zuaiter escribió: «Barin representa todo lo que hemos oído acerca del coraje de las combatientes kurdas, y su muerte es mucho más que el matar a un rival o el resultado de una lucha política o étnica. El horror de exhibir su cuerpo sólo porque es una mujer surge del hecho de que ella se atrevió a amenazar la hegemonía masculina al convertirse en una combatiente en un campo de batalla que se suponía era solo para hombres».

 

Barin Kobane, Kurdistan

Llamados a la participación

Participación virtual en el Foro de AWID 2016

Mujeres indígenas por la defensa de los derechos

Estas defensoras lucharon por los derechos sobre la tierra, de las mujeres y de los pueblos indígenas; haciendo frente a las industrias extractivas, escribiendo poesía y promoviendo el amor. Una de ellas desapareció hace ya 19 años. Únete a nosotras para recordar y honrar a estas defensoras de derechos humanos, su trabajo y su legado, compartiendo los memes aquí incluidos; y tuiteando las etiquetas #WHRDTribute y #16Días.

Por favor, haz click en cada imagen de abajo para ver una versión más grande y para descargar como un archivo.  

 

Snippet FEA Nous Sommes la Solution (EN)

The logo of We Are The Solution with green silhouettes of four rural woment

Nous Sommes la Solution is a rural women 's movement for food sovereignty in West Africa. Founded originally as a campaign against hyper-industrialized agriculture, Nous Sommes la Solution has grown into a movement of more than 500 rural women’s associations from Burkina Faso, Senegal, Ghana, Gambia, Guinea Bissau, Mali and Guinea.

Together, this women-led movement is building and strengthening food and seed sovereignty across West Africa. They feed communities, strengthen local economies, amplify the knowledge of women farmers and mitigate the devastating effects of climate change through agroecological practices. They also organize workshops, forums and community radio broadcasts to share their messages, their traditional knowledges and agroecological practices across rural communities.

In collaboration with universities and public research centers, Nous Sommes la Solution works towards restoring traditional Indigenous varieties of rice (a staple food in West Africa) and promoting local food economies based on agroecological principles, influencing national policy-making, all the while supporting women in creating farming associations and collectively owning and managing farmland.

Our group did not receive external funding between 2021 and 2023, should we still fill out the survey?

Yes, we still want to hear from you regardless of whether you received funding in all three, two or only one of the years between 2021 and 2023.

Jacqueline Coulibaly Ki-Zerbo

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Category
Droits civils et politiques
Region
Afrique
Afrique subsaharienne
Date of death / disappearance
Cause of death / disappearance

Naturelle

Jacqueline était une éducatrice malienne pionnière de la cause féministe et nationaliste.

Elle a d’abord enseigné l'anglais au Sénégal avant d'être recrutée en 1961 par le Lycée Philippe Zinda Kaboré à Ouagadougou, au Burkina Faso. Etant donné son engagement militant, elle a pris part au soulèvement populaire du 3 janvier 1966. Entre 1961 et 1966, Jacqueline était par ailleurs responsable de la presse syndicale, La voix des enseignants. Elle a été nommée directrice du Cours normal des jeunes filles (aujourd’hui connu sous le nom de lycée Nelson Mandela) jusqu'en 1974 et s'est consacrée à l'éducation des filles et à la promotion des droits des femmes.

En 1984, elle a reçu le prix Paul G. Hoffmann pour sa contribution remarquable en matière de développement national et international.

 

Jacqueline Coulibaly Ki-Zerbo, Mali/ Burkina Faso

Événements

Beijing sans Entraves: le Pouvoir des Jeunes Mouvements Féministes

Trans* rights require stronger protection

These transgender women were murdered because of their activism and their gender identity. There are insufficient laws recognizing trans* rights, and even where these laws exist, very little is being done to safeguard the rights of trans* people. Please join AWID in honoring these defenders, their activism and legacy by sharing the memes below with your colleagues, networks and friends and by using the hashtags #WHRDTribute and #16Days.

Please click on each image below to see a larger version and download as a file 

 

Snippet FEA What are the objectives (ES)

¿Cuáles son los Objetivos de Nous Sommes la Solution?

Nos solicitan el nombre de la agrupación, organización o movimiento que está respondiendo la encuesta, así como nuestra información de contacto, ¿por qué?

Solicitamos estos datos para facilitar el análisis de las respuestas, para evitar duplicaciones y para contactar a su organización en caso de que no hayan podido completar el cuestionario o de que tengan dudas u otras preguntas. Puedes consultar más detalles acerca de cómo utilizamos la información personal que recolectamos a través de nuestro trabajo aquí.