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

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

Annual Report 2009

3 women sitting on a roundtable with dmall thumbnails of women's faces on top and text that reads, "AWID ANNUAL REPORT 2009"

Our 2009 Annual Report includes highlights of another busy year of action and reflection at AWID as we implement our commitment to boldly, creatively and effectively contribute to the advancement of women’s rights and gender equality worldwide.

In the report you can find out about our programmatic achievements, membership, finances, what to watch out for in 2010, as well as information about our Board and Staff.

Download PDF

Hospital | Small snippet AR

مستشفى

المستشفيات مؤسسات، ومواقع حيّة للرأسمالية، وما يحدث عندما يكون من المفترض أن يستريح شخصٌ ما ليس إلّا نموذجاً مصغّراً من النظام الأكبر.

قرأ أكثر

Stephanie Bracken

Biography

Stephanie Bracken est une féministe qui se consacre à la construction et au soutien de systèmes solides qui répondent aux besoins du moment et des personnes qui interagissent avec eux, tout en servant les principes de justice. Elle est titulaire d'un master en droits humains de l'Université de Sydney et d'une licence en études de genre, histoire et philosophie de l'Université McGill. Elle possède une expérience de travail avec des organisations féministes et de justice sociale dans les domaines du suivi, de l'évaluation et de l'apprentissage, de la planification stratégique du travail, de la gouvernance, de la gestion de projet et de la création de systèmes et de processus opérationnels. Stephanie est basée à Tiohtià:ke/Montréal, où elle aime chanter avec d’autres, camper, pratiquer les arts textiles et passer du temps avec ses enfants et sa communauté.

Position
Cheffe des Opérations
Add to stories
Off

Snippet Kohl - Plenary | Organizing to Win AR

جلسة عامة | التنظيم لتحقيق النصر

جلسة عامة | التنظيم لتحقيق النصر 
مع نازك أبيلجازيفا وأمارانتا جوميز ريجالادو وسيندي ويزنر ولوسينيا فريتا

YOUTUBE

Kasia Staszewska

Biography

Kasia has been supporting the work of feminist and social justice movements for the last 15 years. Before joining AWID, Kasia used to lead policy and advocacy for ActionAid and Amnesty International while organizing with feminists and social justice groups in Poland for access to abortion and against violence on the European borders. Kasia is passionate about resourcing feminist organizing in all their boldness, richness and diversity. She shares her time between Warsaw and her DIY community village in the forest. She loves saunas and is crazy about her dog named Wooly.

Position
Manager, Resourcing Feminist Movements
Add to stories
Off

Intro to tweets snippet | AR

يتبيّن من هذه التويتات الفكاهة المقرونة بالإثارة والاهتياج الجنسيّ، التي تتّسم بها المقاربة النسوية لكتابة الرسائل ذات المضامين الجنسية، دون أن تُسقط عن نفسها الالتزام بالمساواة والعدالة.

Faye Macheke

Biography

Faye es una apasionada feminista panafricana, que trabaja activamente en diversos movimientos por los derechos de las mujeres, la justicia racial, los derechos de las personas migrantes y los derechos laborales, y por la justicia ambiental. Su activismo se basa en el legado de la lucha contra el apartheid en Sudáfrica y las consecuencias de la era del apartheid en Zimbabue.

En 2019, Faye se sumó a AWID como Directora de Finanzas, Operaciones y Desarrollo y dedicó sus esfuerzos a garantizar que AWID defienda los principios y valores feministas en todas sus operaciones. Aporta más de 20 años de experiencia en liderazgo y estrategias feministas y en todos los aspectos de las finanzas y el desarrollo institucional.

Faye es una comprometida integrante de la Junta de Urgent Action Fund Africa (UAF- Fondo de Acción Urgente África) y otras organizaciones por los derechos de las mujeres. Anteriormente, desempeñó funciones de Directora de Finanzas y Operaciones en Paediatric Adolescent Treatment for Africa (Tratamiento Pediátrico y Adolescente para África) y JASS - Just Associates Inc., en Sudáfrica. Asimismo, ocupó roles directivos en International Computer Driving Licence (ICDL), en África central y meridional. Posee una licenciatura en Ciencias Contables de la Universidad de Sudáfrica y forma parte del Instituto Sudafricano de Gestión Contable Empresarial.

Position
Codirectora Ejecutiva
Add to stories
Off

#MeToo en Chine

#MeToo en Chine

L'exposition #MeToo en Chine a été organisée pour la première fois en 2019 et a effectué une tournée dans 5 villes. L'objectif de l'exposition est de mettre davantage en avant les expériences personnelles des victimes et des activistes et, en prenant part à ces histoires, d'inspirer notre public à se joindre à la lutte. L'exposition est elle-même devenue une partie de la lutte #MeToo; elle a fait face à d’innombrables défis lors de sa tournée à travers la Chine et a même risqué la fermeture à plus d'une occasion.

Visiter l’exposition

Salome Chagelishvili

Biography

Salome est une activiste féministe originaire de Tbilisi, Géorgie, qui se consacre à la justice de genre et sociale. Titulaire d’une Maîtrise en études sur le genre, elle s’est impliquée auprès de mouvements féministes, queers et écologiques au cours des neuf dernières années, travaillant entre autres sur les questions de la violence liée au genre, la violence domestique, la santé sexuelle et reproductive et les droits afférents, les droits LGBTIQ et la sécurité et les droits holistiques et numériques.

Depuis 2014, elle travaille activement sur les questions de sécurité et de sûreté des activistes et des femmes défenseures des droits humains, organisant des ateliers sur la sécurité intégrée et la sécurité numérique spécialement pour les activistes de groupes défavorisés (personnes homosexuelles, minorités ethniques et religieuses, femmes et filles rurales, etc.) ainsi que pour de grandes organisations féministes. Salome est membre de l’Independent Group of Feminists (Groupe indépendant de féministes)- une initiative non-formelle, non hiérarchique et non enregistrée qui réunit des féministes géorgiennes ayant différents parcours. Elle travaille actuellement avec le Fonds pour les femmes de Géorgie, où elle est pleinement impliquée dans la construction de mouvements de femmes/féministes, tout en offrant un financement féministe et encourageant la philanthropie féministe locale.

 

Add to stories
Off

Nicole Barakat Snippet EN

Nicole Barakat

Nicole Barakat is a queer femme, SWANA artist born and living on Gadigal Country (so-called Sydney, Australia). She works with deep listening and intuitive processes with intentions to transform the conditions of everyday life. Her work engages unconventional approaches to art-making, creating intricate works that embody the love and patience that characterises traditional textile practices.

Nicole’s Exhibition

Michelle D'Cruz

Biography

Michelle is a Southeast Asian feminist who enjoys conspiring to bring people together and spark conversations for social change and feminist knowledge sharing, through art, poetry, music and games. With a background in digital advocacy and communications strategy development, she has contributed to initiatives in digital rights, human rights research, and civil society coalition building throughout Southeast Asia. She has an LLB from National University of Singapore, enjoys following her feet down random city streets and likes coffee a little too much.

Position
Membership and constituency Engagement Coordinator
Add to stories
Off

Nuestras socias

Este proyecto se desarrolla en colaboración con:

Logo for African Women's Development and Communication Network
Logo for Rutgers Center for Women's Global Leadership