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Violations committed against defenders by non-State actors 2010, para. 6
- Paragraph text
- During times of armed conflict or states of emergency, human rights defenders are at great risk of being targeted by non-State armed groups. Defenders denouncing impunity and violations committed by armed groups are harassed and, consequently, work in a state of fear. In particular, their mental and physical integrity is at risk, as they often live in regions under the control of non-State armed groups or wherein these groups operate. In addition to being threatened and harassed by militias, warlords and other armed groups, women human rights defenders are, in addition, often subjected to rape and other forms of sexual violence because of their work. Human rights defenders helping victims to access justice for violations of human rights law or international humanitarian law, either locally or before regional or international tribunals such as the International Criminal Court, are also regularly subjected to threats, violence and harassment. In particular, the Special Rapporteur has received information about lawyers receiving death threats because of their work in defence of victims of international crimes. Humanitarian workers are also targeted by non-State armed groups and thus prevented from providing humanitarian assistance to victims of armed conflicts. Furthermore, in the context of civil conflict, paramilitaries often attempt to stigmatize the work of human rights defenders and legitimize campaigns of violence against them by alleging that they are associated with armed groups or "terrorists". In such cases, it is vital that the Government publicly reaffirm the importance of the work carried out by human rights defenders and denounce any attempts at its delegitimization or stigmatization.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Activists
- Women
- Year
- 2010
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Violations committed against defenders by non-State actors 2010, para. 16
- Paragraph text
- In addition, the information received indicates that community leaders and faith-based groups are increasingly resorting to the stigmatization of, and attacks against, defenders working on issues such as the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender persons (A/HRC/4/37/Add.2, para. 32), violence against women and domestic violence. In numerous instances, defenders have been threatened with ostracism or pressured to stop their work in defence of human rights. Furthermore, the information received shows that women human rights defenders working in the area of domestic violence and other types of violence against women are often pressured by the family members of victims or threatened by the perpetrators or their own family members to drop cases.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Gender
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Activists
- Families
- LGBTQI+
- Women
- Year
- 2010
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Violations committed against defenders by non-State actors 2010, para. 43
- Paragraph text
- Information received by the Special Rapporteur shows that in many instances, complaints by defenders about alleged violations of their rights are either never investigated or dismissed without justification. In certain cases involving threats received by text message, for example, the telephone numbers of the senders (when known) have been transmitted to the police for further investigation. The information provided shows that in most cases, no proper investigation was carried out by the police. Furthermore, in certain States affected by internal conflict, impunity has been unchecked with regard to cases of rape and the use of sexual and other forms of violence against women. Consequently, the State's unwillingness to investigate violations committed by non-State actors is seen as granting those responsible free rein further to attack defenders with total impunity.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Humanitarian
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Activists
- Women
- Year
- 2010
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
On the Declaration on human rights defenders 2011, para. 17
- Paragraph text
- In every region of the world, defenders - including women defenders and those working on women's rights or gender issues - continue to face intimidation, threats, killings, disappearances, torture, ill-treatment, arbitrary detention, surveillance, administrative and judicial harassment and, more generally, stigmatization by both State and non-State actors. Violations faced by women defenders may take a gender-specific form, ranging from verbal abuse based on their sex, to sexual abuse and rape. Defenders also confront violations of the exercise of their rights to freedom of opinion and expression, access to information, access to funding, free movement and freedoms of association and peaceful assembly. In many countries, a climate of impunity for violations committed against defenders prevails.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Gender
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Activists
- Women
- Year
- 2011
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
On the Declaration on human rights defenders 2011, para. 18a
- Paragraph text
- [Specific situations impeding the work of human rights defenders and leading to a highly insecure environment include:] The stigmatization to which both women defenders and their male counterparts are subjected in certain contexts, including accusations of being fronts for guerrilla movements, terrorists, political extremists, separatists, or working on behalf of foreign countries or their interests. Also, women defenders often face further stigmatization by virtue of their sex or the gender-based rights they advocate;
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Gender
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Activists
- Women
- Year
- 2011
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Women human rights defenders and those working on women’s rights or gender issues 2011, para. 81
- Paragraph text
- The prevalence of the alleged use of torture, as well as other forms of ill-treatment and mistreatment of women human rights defenders and those working on women's rights or gender issues while in detention is alarming. During the stated period, 149 such allegations were noted in communications from the mandate in this regard. Several such cases (22) pertained to detained or imprisoned defenders in China; of these, there were a notable number of alleged incidences of physical attacks and beatings by inmates, who had reportedly been ordered to do so by prison guards. Other violations reported in China have included beatings by law enforcement officials, the use of torture as a disciplinary measure, denial of adequate medical care in detention, forced medication and sleep deprivation. Among the alleged victims of such treatment were pro-democracy activists, defenders working on reproductive and housing rights, and the rights of religious, national, and ethnic minorities.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Gender
- Health
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Activists
- Ethnic minorities
- Women
- Year
- 2011
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Women human rights defenders and those working on women’s rights or gender issues 2011, para. 82
- Paragraph text
- In Uzbekistan, to which 11 communications regarding alleged torture or other mistreatment were sent, there emerged a worrying trend of the alleged committal of women defenders to psychiatric institutions, wherein they may be subjected to forced medication, as a form of punishment for their work, along with other forms of mistreatment such as assaults and beatings - which in one instance allegedly induced a miscarriage in the pregnant wife of a human rights defender - or sleep deprivation. The method of confining women defenders to psychiatric facilities has also allegedly been employed in countries such as the Russian Federation and Viet Nam.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Activists
- Women
- Year
- 2011
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Women human rights defenders and those working on women’s rights or gender issues 2011, para. 83
- Paragraph text
- A large number of communications related to allegations of excessive use of force and other forms of mistreatment by police during arrests and detentions. In this regard, aside from the aforementioned countries, many of the reported violations occurred in the Islamic Republic of Iran, primarily against women's rights activists, in Chile; India, and Myanmar among others. As noted above, such violence was even employed against pregnant defenders. In the given period, three incidents were reported to the Special Rapporteur in which alleged physical violence by law enforcement officials against pregnant women led to miscarriages. Many other violations reportedly occurred during and following police crackdowns on peaceful demonstrations and protests. In this connection, a significant number of communications related to Zimbabwe but also to Belarus, Chile, Myanmar, and Nepal, among others.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Activists
- Women
- Year
- 2011
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Women human rights defenders and those working on women’s rights or gender issues 2011, para. 23
- Paragraph text
- In this regard, the mandate holders have reiterated on several occasions that women defenders are more at risk of suffering certain forms of violence and other violations, prejudice, exclusion, and repudiation than their male counterparts. This is often due to the fact that women defenders are perceived as challenging accepted socio-cultural norms, traditions, perceptions and stereotypes about femininity, sexual orientation, and the role and status of women in society. Their work is often seen as challenging "traditional" notions of the family which can serve to normalize and perpetuate forms of violence and oppression of women. This can, in certain contexts, lead to hostility or lack of support from the general population, as well as the authorities.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Activists
- Families
- Women
- Year
- 2011
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Women human rights defenders and those working on women’s rights or gender issues 2011, para. 24
- Paragraph text
- As pointed out by the former Special Representative in her 2002 report to the Commission on Human Rights, the violations faced by women defenders may themselves take a gender-specific form, ranging from verbal abuse based on their sex, to sexual abuse and rape. Cases of the latter are particularly prevalent in situations of conflict, which are often characterized by an environment of complete impunity for perpetrators. Further, in certain contexts, if a women human rights defender is subjected to rape or sexual abuse as a result of her work, she may be perceived by her extended family as having brought shame on both the family and the wider community. Indeed, even when no rape or sexual abuse has occurred, women defenders are often subjected to stigmatization and ostracism by community leaders, faith-based groups, families and communities who consider them to be jeopardizing religion, honour or culture through their work.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Activists
- Families
- Women
- Year
- 2011
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Women human rights defenders and those working on women’s rights or gender issues 2011, para. 28
- Paragraph text
- In its resolutions relating to the mandate, the General Assembly has on various occasions expressed its grave concern regarding the saliency of gender-based violence and the other risks faced by women defenders. This concern has been echoed by the Human Rights Council, which recognized in its resolution 13/13 "the immediate need to put an end to and take concrete steps to prevent threats, harassment, violence, including gender-based violence", and encouraged States to strengthen mechanisms for consultation and dialogue with women human rights defenders..
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Gender
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Activists
- Women
- Year
- 2011
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Women human rights defenders and those working on women’s rights or gender issues 2011, para. 37
- Paragraph text
- A large number of communications sent during the period (196) concerned alleged violations against defenders, including males, working on women's rights or gender issues, including lesbian, gay, bisexual and transsexual issues (LGBT). This group is thoroughly heterogeneous, including women and men carrying out a vast range of activities related to women's rights, including those working on issues related to sexual and reproductive rights; organizations dealing with violence against women, rehabilitation and impunity related to violence, rape and sexual violence, women's shelters caring for victims of the above; and journalists and bloggers writing on women's rights issues.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Health
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Activists
- LGBTQI+
- Women
- Year
- 2011
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Women human rights defenders and those working on women’s rights or gender issues 2011, para. 40
- Paragraph text
- A smaller number of communications regarding defenders working on these issues (33) were sent to countries in sub-Saharan Africa. The largest number of these concerned defenders in Zimbabwe. Alleged violations of a judicial nature were reported against defenders working on these issues in the Sudan and Uganda (particularly with regard to LGBT defenders). Communications were also sent to the Central African Republic and the Democratic Republic of the Congo where women's rights defenders faced risks such as attacks, raids, death threats, attempted rape, and sexual violence.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Gender
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Activists
- LGBTQI+
- Women
- Year
- 2011
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Women human rights defenders and those working on women’s rights or gender issues 2011, para. 45
- Paragraph text
- According to the information received, human rights defenders who work on sexual and reproductive rights face risks including harassment, discrimination, stigma, criminalization and physical violence. As part of this group, medical and health professionals, by providing sexual and reproductive health services, ensure that women can exercise their reproductive rights. In certain countries, these health professionals, as a result of their work, are regularly targeted and suffer harassment, intimidation and physical violence. In some countries, these attacks perpetrated by non-State actors have led to killings and attempted killings of medical professionals.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Activists
- Women
- Year
- 2011
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Women human rights defenders and those working on women’s rights or gender issues 2011, para. 48
- Paragraph text
- The mandate also sent 64 communications concerning the situation of women defenders working on issues of impunity and access to justice, including witnesses and victims of human rights violations seeking redress, as well as the lawyers, individuals and organizations representing or supporting them. This group seems to be particularly at risk in certain countries in Europe, Central Asia and the Americas. Over half of the communications in this regard were sent to the Russian Federation (15 cases), Colombia (14 cases) and Mexico (nine cases).
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Activists
- Women
- Year
- 2011
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Women human rights defenders and those working on women’s rights or gender issues 2011, para. 49
- Paragraph text
- The mandate also sent 58 communications regarding cases of women defenders and those working on women's rights or gender issues denouncing abuses in contexts of military conflict, counter-terrorism and other situations of widespread violence. This group includes defenders working in conflict-affected countries and regions such as the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Sudan, Colombia, the North Caucasus, and post-conflict situations such as in the Balkan countries (most notably Serbia) and Nepal. This group includes those monitoring and reporting violations, providing of aid and assistance to victims, addressing the gender dimensions of conflict, and combating impunity, including by bringing cases before international bodies such as the International Court of Justice and European Court of Human Rights.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Gender
- Humanitarian
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Activists
- Women
- Year
- 2011
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Women human rights defenders and those working on women’s rights or gender issues 2011, para. 58
- Paragraph text
- The human rights activities carried out by those subjected to threats and death threats in the Americas region ranged very widely. Among the groups which appear to be most at risk are women defenders working to fight impunity for alleged human rights violations, particularly in Brazil, Colombia, Guatemala, Mexico, and Peru. Moreover, those working on indigenous rights also appear to be at risk, particularly in Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Guatemala, and Honduras; trade unionists, particularly in Colombia and Guatemala; and women's rights and/or LGBT defenders in the region.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Activists
- Ethnic minorities
- LGBTQI+
- Women
- Year
- 2011
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Women human rights defenders and those working on women’s rights or gender issues 2011, para. 61
- Paragraph text
- In Uzbekistan, to which 10 communications were sent regarding alleged threats and death threats, a wide range of women defenders were allegedly targeted as well as a significant number of family members. Among these, explicit death threats were common, along with others including threats of committal to psychiatric hospitals, threats of violence against family members, and threats of eviction. A further 14 communications were sent to other European countries, including four to Serbia and the former Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (Serbia and Montenegro), and two to Turkey.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Activists
- Families
- Women
- Year
- 2011
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Women human rights defenders and those working on women’s rights or gender issues 2011, para. 65
- Paragraph text
- Women human rights defenders and those working on women's rights or gender issues in the Americas appear to be most at risk of being killed or having an attempt made on their lives. The largest number of these communications was sent to Colombia (12 regarding killings, 11 regarding attempted killings), while other cases were reported in Brazil (two regarding killings, four regarding attempted killings); Guatemala (two regarding killings, two regarding attempted killings); and Honduras (two regarding killings, two regarding attempted killings); with attempted killings also being reported in Mexico (two), Chile (two), Ecuador (two), and Peru (two). Those most at risk appear to be women trade unionists and women labour rights activists, particularly in Colombia and Guatemala; women indigenous rights activists, particularly in Colombia, Mexico, Chile, and Guatemala; and women environmental and land rights activists, particularly in Brazil and Colombia, along with family members and associates of all the aforementioned defenders.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Environment
- Gender
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Activists
- Ethnic minorities
- Women
- Year
- 2011
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Women human rights defenders and those working on women’s rights or gender issues 2011, para. 66
- Paragraph text
- Outside of the Americas, 2009 saw an alarming rise in comparison to previous years in the number of allegations received regarding murders of women human rights defenders and those working on women's rights or gender issues in the Russian Federation: four communications regarding alleged killings were sent in 2009. In this context, those targeted were often working on human rights in Chechnya and the North Caucasus generally, along with journalists. Other killings and attempted killings were reported in communications sent to the Philippines (eight communications), Iraq (two communications), India (two communications), Nepal (one communication), Sri Lanka (two communications), Israel (one communication), and the Congo (one communication), with further attempted killings being reported in communications sent to Pakistan (two communications), Bangladesh (one communication), the United States of America (one communication, concerning Iraq under U.S. Administration), and France (one communication, concerning French Guyana) during the 2004-2009 period.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Gender
- Humanitarian
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Activists
- Women
- Year
- 2011
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Women human rights defenders and those working on women’s rights or gender issues 2011, para. 67
- Paragraph text
- Allegations on attacks against the physical integrity of this group of defenders by non-State groups and individuals were received during the 2004-2009 period, cases of which were raised in 52 communications. About half of these cases were reported in Central and South American countries. Those most at risk in this region appear to include women working as journalists, such as those critical of paramilitary groups in Colombia; women advocating for workers' rights in Mexico, along with women lawyers, indigenous and pro-democracy defenders. Physical attacks were also reported in Europe and Central Asia (10 communications), the Middle East and North Africa (six communications), Asia (five communications), and Africa (three communications).
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Humanitarian
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Activists
- Ethnic minorities
- Women
- Year
- 2011
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Women human rights defenders and those working on women’s rights or gender issues 2011, para. 84
- Paragraph text
- During the stated period, in the Middle East and North Africa region, primarily in Tunisia, but also in Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt and Morocco, the communications sent seem to point to a trend of the use of physical violence against women human rights defenders and those working on women's rights or gender issues by law enforcement officials. Such acts, however, did not usually take place in the context of an arrest or detention; rather, there appears to be a pattern of sporadic beatings as a form of punishment or intimidation, or occasionally to prevent meetings or assemblies from taking place.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Gender
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Activists
- Women
- Year
- 2011
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Women human rights defenders and those working on women’s rights or gender issues 2011, para. 86
- Paragraph text
- As both mandate holders have reiterated on various occasions, female human rights defenders are subject to particular risks to which their male counterparts are not so greatly exposed, foremost among these being the risk of rape, sexual abuse, and other forms of sexual violence and harassment. During the 2004-2009 period, the mandate sent 26 communications regarding cases of rape, threatened rape, or other forms of sexual violence and harassment against women defenders. However, of these, six communications concerned abuses of this kind against LGBT activists.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Gender
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Activists
- LGBTQI+
- Women
- Year
- 2011
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Women human rights defenders and those working on women’s rights or gender issues 2011, para. 87
- Paragraph text
- In 2005, the mandate sent a communication regarding the systematic use of sexual and other forms of violence against women defenders in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Aside from this, two other cases of threatened and attempted rape were reported from the DRC, along with one attempted rape of a women defender's daughter in the Central African Republic, and the threatened rape of an LGBT activist in Kenya. Sexual assaults, including instances of gang rape in detention of LGBT activists, were also reported in Ecuador, Honduras, Mexico, India, and Nepal. The alleged perpetrators of these acts were mostly unknown/ unidentified but also included members of the police, military, armed groups, or local members of the community.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Activists
- LGBTQI+
- Women
- Year
- 2011
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Women human rights defenders and those working on women’s rights or gender issues 2011, para. 88
- Paragraph text
- In certain cultural and social contexts, issues relating to rape and sexual abuse of women remain taboo. Women working on such issues, including victims thereof seeking redress, organizations representing victims or granting them shelter, and organizations working with sex workers, among others, often face a hostile response from both society and State as a result of their work. In this connection, 19 communications were sent regarding defenders working on issues related to sexual abuse, rape, and prostitution. Of these, six detailed alleged violations against rape victims seeking redress or publicizing the issue, or their lawyers and two being sent to Pakistan, while others were sent to India, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Guatemala. The alleged violations in these cases included an arrest, threats, harassment, and a travel ban.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Activists
- Women
- Year
- 2011
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Women human rights defenders and those working on women’s rights or gender issues 2011, para. 105
- Paragraph text
- Based mostly of the review of the communications sent by the mandate during the period between 2004 and 2009, women defenders and those working on women's rights or gender issues seem to be more at risk of being threatened, including death threats, and being killed in the Americas region than in other parts of the world. Arrest and further judicial harassment and criminalization of the work of have been more commonly reported in Asia, sub-Saharan Africa, Europe and Central Asia. Moreover, these defenders also risk being exposed to the reported torture, mistreatment and widespread use of excessive force by State agents in the context of arrests and detention. Furthermore, women defenders face a greater risk of being subject to sexual harassment, sexual violence and rape.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Gender
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Activists
- Women
- Year
- 2011
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Selected groups of defenders at risk: journalists and media workers, defenders working on land and environment issues; and youth and student defenders 2012, para. 83
- Paragraph text
- In doing this kind of work, women human rights defenders have been subjected to threats against their physical integrity including: killings, mostly in the Americas region (Colombia, Guatemala, Honduras); excessive use of force against them during protests (Brazil, India and Nepal); and attacks by armed assailants (Guatemala). They have also been subjected to threats and death threats (Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico, Philippines, Peru); and harassment and intimidation (Bahamas, Mexico, Peru), including against their families (Colombia).
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Gender
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Activists
- Families
- Women
- Year
- 2012
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Selected groups of defenders at risk: journalists and media workers, defenders working on land and environment issues; and youth and student defenders 2012, para. 110
- Paragraph text
- Over half of the communications sent (31) were addressed to Governments in Asia, among which 14 were sent to the Islamic Republic of Iran, five were sent to China, and three to the Philippines. Nineteen of the cases concerned men as victims, while five reported women as victims and five related to victims of both sexes. The sex of the victim(s) was not reported in two cases. Allegations of violations against youth and students in Asia were for the most part related to physical integrity, which was mentioned in 26 cases. Alleged violations included killings, enforced disappearances, arbitrary detention, physical attacks and forced labour. Eight cases were judicial in nature, including criminalization of the activities of human rights defenders, arrests, prison sentences and concerns about due process, including under anti-terrorism legislation.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Activists
- Men
- Women
- Youth
- Year
- 2012
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Vision and Working Methods of the Mandate 2014, para. 49
- Paragraph text
- For several years, human rights defenders have been mobilizing for the protection promised by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights to be extended to the new threats hanging over human dignity. In this context they have been advocating for the protection of rights also to be guaranteed in the home or community setting, on the basis of their efforts to combat violence against women. They have been campaigning for multinational companies to be morally and legally responsible for any of their actions or omissions that deprive men and women of their fundamental rights. They have been mobilizing for universal access to primary education and to antiretroviral drugs to become fundamental rights rather than being considered as services dependent on charity or level of economic development.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Activists
- Men
- Women
- Year
- 2014
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Elements of a safe and enabling environment for human rights defenders 2014, para. 99
- Paragraph text
- The Special Rapporteur remains gravely concerned that women defenders are subject to arrests, ill-treatment, torture, criminalization, unwarranted judicial proceedings, stigmatization, attacks, threats (including death threats), sexual violence and killings. Furthermore, in many cases, the family members of women defenders are also targeted. In comparison to male defenders, women defenders are more at risk of suffering certain forms of violence, as well as prejudice, exclusion and repudiation. This occurs because women defenders are often perceived as challenging accepted sociocultural norms, traditions, perceptions and stereotypes about femininity, sexual orientation, and the role and status of women in society.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Gender
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Activists
- Families
- Women
- Year
- 2014
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph