International: Campaign on women human rights defenders
Source:
AWID An interview with Mary Jane N. Real, the Women Human Rights Defenders’ International Coordinating Committee (WHRD-ICC) Coordinator.
AWID: What is the campaign about?
MJR: The International Campaign on Women Human Rights Defenders is an international campaign for the recognition and protection of women human rights defenders who are activists advocating for the realization of all human rights for all. The campaign asserts that women fighting for human rights and women’s rights face specific violations when defending the human rights of women. It calls attention to the violations that women human rights defenders experience because of their gender. In addition, it focuses on the violations women human rights defenders face because of the issues they advocate for, such as the situation of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) activists, who are also targeted because of their identity and sexuality, and the rights they are fighting to uphold.
AWID: How did this initiative begin?
MJR: The concern for the protection of human rights defenders was brought to international attention by the cumulative advocacy of many organizations through activities such as the Paris Summit on Human Rights Defenders. In 1998, the United Nations adopted the UN Declaration on the Right and Responsibility of Individuals, Groups and Organs of Society to Promote and Protect Universally Recognized Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, otherwise known as the UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders. A position for a UN Special Representative to the Secretary General on Human Rights Defenders was created in 2000 and in the same year, Hina Jilani, a prominent lawyer and human rights defender from Pakistan, was first appointed to the position. She was reappointed for another term, which will end in 2006.
The focus on women as human rights defenders was discussed during a regional consultation with the UN Special Representative, organized by Asia Pacific Forum on Women, Law and Development (APWLD), Amnesty International, and International Women’s Rights Action Watch – Asia Pacific (IWRAW-AP) in 2003. One of the key recommendations was to organize an international consultation that will bring attention to the human rights violations women human rights defenders face because of their gender and the gender-specific issues they advocate. So several women’s groups and human rights organizations interested in working on the issues of WHRDs met in Geneva, Switzerland in April 2004 and formed the International Coordinating Committee for this initiative.
AWID: What are the key propositions and demands of this campaign?
MJR: The campaign aspires to ensure that:
MJR: The campaign calls for:
MJR: For now, the campaign is aimed primarily at members of the WHRD International Coordinating Committee (WHRD-ICC); women human rights defenders themselves, especially those at risk; and as many collaborating organizations that can join the initiative and carry out their own WHRD activities.
The campaign is also directed at the UN, particularly the UN Commission on Human Rights and the UN Special Rapporteurs, especially the office of the Special Representative on Human Rights Defenders. National governments, including national human rights commissions, and other regional human rights institutions specifically in Europe, Africa and Latin America are also called upon to address the demands of the campaign. Lastly, the campaign reaches out to leaders and members of social movements to take on the WHRD agenda.
AWID: How will it work? What is the campaign plan?
MJR: We have planned to undertake various activities during the campaign. The first step has been the formation and consolidation of the WHRD-ICC.
Then we will organize awareness raising activities, which would include:
We have also planned to do some lobbying and advocacy:
AWID: Since the campaign started, how far have you gone in its various activities?
MJR: Since the planning Meeting for the WHRDs initiative, held on April 14, 2004 in Geneva, we have gone a long way. We have organized and participated in many meetings both at the national and international level, including national andregional consultations with a focus on WHRDs, action alerts on gender-based forms of violations on WHRDs, production of campaign and education materials on UN Declaration on HRDs and other protection mechanisms for WHRDs, training and other capacity tools for HRDs use at local level, strategic meetings and outreach to other groups and movements on WHRDs.
The campaign initially started with limited funds, but now we have a growing commitment from various funders who support the significance of this initiative. From the initial members of the Coordinating Committee, we have linked up with other groups interested to be collaborating organizations. Preparations are also underway for the International Consultation on Women Human Rights Defenders slated for November 29 to December 2, 2005 in Sri Lanka.
AWID: What are the expected outcomes of the campaign?
MJR : The expected outcomes of the campaign are:
Any organization or individual that subscribes to the Vienna Declaration on Human Rights which recognizes the universality of women’s human rights, and the UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders which gives due recognition to the rights and responsibilities of human rights activists, including women human rights defenders, can join this campaign.
Groups joining the campaign can become collaborating organizations by simply informing the WHRD-ICC Secretariat of their intention to join the initiative and the activities the group will conduct at any level (local, national, regional or international) of whatever kind (public awareness, capacity building, lobbying and advocacy, research and documentation) for the protection of WHRDs. Collaborating organizations will be fully acknowledged for their contributions in key WHRD-ICC campaign materials and publications.
For further information about the campaign, please contact:
WHRD-ICC Secretariat
c/o Asia Pacific Forum on Women, Law and Development
YMCA Santitham Building, 11 Sermsuk Road, Soi Mengrairasmi
Chaing Mai, 50300 Thailand
Email: whrd@apwld.org
Website: http://www.defendingwomen-defendingrights.org
MJR: The International Campaign on Women Human Rights Defenders is an international campaign for the recognition and protection of women human rights defenders who are activists advocating for the realization of all human rights for all. The campaign asserts that women fighting for human rights and women’s rights face specific violations when defending the human rights of women. It calls attention to the violations that women human rights defenders experience because of their gender. In addition, it focuses on the violations women human rights defenders face because of the issues they advocate for, such as the situation of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) activists, who are also targeted because of their identity and sexuality, and the rights they are fighting to uphold.
AWID: How did this initiative begin?
MJR: The concern for the protection of human rights defenders was brought to international attention by the cumulative advocacy of many organizations through activities such as the Paris Summit on Human Rights Defenders. In 1998, the United Nations adopted the UN Declaration on the Right and Responsibility of Individuals, Groups and Organs of Society to Promote and Protect Universally Recognized Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, otherwise known as the UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders. A position for a UN Special Representative to the Secretary General on Human Rights Defenders was created in 2000 and in the same year, Hina Jilani, a prominent lawyer and human rights defender from Pakistan, was first appointed to the position. She was reappointed for another term, which will end in 2006.
The focus on women as human rights defenders was discussed during a regional consultation with the UN Special Representative, organized by Asia Pacific Forum on Women, Law and Development (APWLD), Amnesty International, and International Women’s Rights Action Watch – Asia Pacific (IWRAW-AP) in 2003. One of the key recommendations was to organize an international consultation that will bring attention to the human rights violations women human rights defenders face because of their gender and the gender-specific issues they advocate. So several women’s groups and human rights organizations interested in working on the issues of WHRDs met in Geneva, Switzerland in April 2004 and formed the International Coordinating Committee for this initiative.
AWID: What are the key propositions and demands of this campaign?
MJR: The campaign aspires to ensure that:
- Women human rights defenders are treated as equal partners and leaders in the defense and promotion of human rights.
- Women human rights defenders are recognized and protected from the discrimination and violations they face in their work because of their sexuality.
- Governments, NGOs and other members of civil society address the specific concerns of women human rights defenders and protect them in accordance with the UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders, and other international instruments and mechanisms.
- For governments to repeal all laws and other measures, including anti-terrorism regulations that violate human rights and pose risks to human rights defenders, including women.
- For the UN and human rights groups to develop new mechanisms for more effective accountability of non-State actors for violations against women and women human rights defenders.
- For governments, international financial institutions and funding agencies to ensure allocation of adequate funding and resources for the full protection of women human rights defenders and the promotion of their rights.
- For governments, NGOs and members of social and other movements to undertake measures to protect those who are persecuted because of their advocacy on sexual rights and eliminate all forms of discrimination against persons of different sexual orientation, including lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender persons.
- For human rights organizations and members of social and other movements to develop programs and allocate sufficient resources for the protection of women human rights defenders and to respond to gender-based violations against them.
- For governments, NGOs and members of social and other movements to recognize that women human rights defenders are human rights defenders in their own right and that they should be consulted on issues relating to their security and protection as human rights defenders.
- For the UN to continue to support the mandate of the UN Special Representative to the Secretary General on Human Rights Defenders, and ensure that a focus on women human rights defenders remains a core aspect of that person’s work in order to develop and maintain effective, appropriate and accessible protection for women human rights defenders.
- For the office of the UN Commission on Human Rights to provide technical support and resources to relevant UN and state agencies, including national human rights commissions, to implement the recommendations of the UN Special Representative on Human Rights Defenders, particularly on the prevention of violations and protection of women human rights defenders.
The campaign demands:
MJR: The campaign calls for:
- Recognition of women human rights defenders;
- Resistance to State violence
- Responsibility by non-State actors
- Realization of all human rights for all!
MJR: For now, the campaign is aimed primarily at members of the WHRD International Coordinating Committee (WHRD-ICC); women human rights defenders themselves, especially those at risk; and as many collaborating organizations that can join the initiative and carry out their own WHRD activities.
The campaign is also directed at the UN, particularly the UN Commission on Human Rights and the UN Special Rapporteurs, especially the office of the Special Representative on Human Rights Defenders. National governments, including national human rights commissions, and other regional human rights institutions specifically in Europe, Africa and Latin America are also called upon to address the demands of the campaign. Lastly, the campaign reaches out to leaders and members of social movements to take on the WHRD agenda.
AWID: How will it work? What is the campaign plan?
MJR: We have planned to undertake various activities during the campaign. The first step has been the formation and consolidation of the WHRD-ICC.
Then we will organize awareness raising activities, which would include:
- participation in international and regional activities of women’s groups and human rights organizations such as the BPFA + 10 review at UNCSW, UNCHR 60th session.
- production of campaign materials
We have also planned to do some lobbying and advocacy:
- lobbying at UNCHR and the UN Special Representative on HRDs for the protection of WHRDs;
- lobbying national governments to repeal anti-terrorism laws and enact measures to protect WHRDs
- advocacy with women, human rights and other movements to adopt the WHRD agenda.
AWID: Since the campaign started, how far have you gone in its various activities?
MJR: Since the planning Meeting for the WHRDs initiative, held on April 14, 2004 in Geneva, we have gone a long way. We have organized and participated in many meetings both at the national and international level, including national andregional consultations with a focus on WHRDs, action alerts on gender-based forms of violations on WHRDs, production of campaign and education materials on UN Declaration on HRDs and other protection mechanisms for WHRDs, training and other capacity tools for HRDs use at local level, strategic meetings and outreach to other groups and movements on WHRDs.
The campaign initially started with limited funds, but now we have a growing commitment from various funders who support the significance of this initiative. From the initial members of the Coordinating Committee, we have linked up with other groups interested to be collaborating organizations. Preparations are also underway for the International Consultation on Women Human Rights Defenders slated for November 29 to December 2, 2005 in Sri Lanka.
AWID: What are the expected outcomes of the campaign?
MJR : The expected outcomes of the campaign are:
- greater visibility of WHRDs and increased awareness of the public on WHRDs as a distinct category of human rights activists.
- enhanced understanding among human rights and other groups, governments and UN of the specific violations against WHRDs.
- enhanced capacity of WHRDs to replicate their work at local levels.
- greater and better protection of WHRDs as a result of highlighting their gender-specific concerns.
- creation of solidarity and alliances between women’s groups, human rights organizations and other groups for the protection of WHRDs.
Any organization or individual that subscribes to the Vienna Declaration on Human Rights which recognizes the universality of women’s human rights, and the UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders which gives due recognition to the rights and responsibilities of human rights activists, including women human rights defenders, can join this campaign.
Groups joining the campaign can become collaborating organizations by simply informing the WHRD-ICC Secretariat of their intention to join the initiative and the activities the group will conduct at any level (local, national, regional or international) of whatever kind (public awareness, capacity building, lobbying and advocacy, research and documentation) for the protection of WHRDs. Collaborating organizations will be fully acknowledged for their contributions in key WHRD-ICC campaign materials and publications.
For further information about the campaign, please contact:
WHRD-ICC Secretariat
c/o Asia Pacific Forum on Women, Law and Development
YMCA Santitham Building, 11 Sermsuk Road, Soi Mengrairasmi
Chaing Mai, 50300 Thailand
Email: whrd@apwld.org
Website: http://www.defendingwomen-defendingrights.org
